B 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


PENIKESE 


REMINISCENCE 


BY 


ONE  OF  ITS  PUPILS 

\ 

"Yea,  it  becomes  a  man 

To  cherish  memory,  where  he  had  delight." 

Sophocles:  Ajax, 


1895 

FRANK  H.  LATTIN,  PUBLISHER, 
ALBION  N    TT 


COPYRIGHT" 
1895 


DEDICATION. 
TO 
ALL 

TO  WHOM  THE  MEMORY  OF 
TENIKESE 

AND  OF 

ITS   MASTER 

IS   DEAR. 


M368675 


PREFACE. 

The  material  of  which  this  little  volume  is  com- 
posed furnishes  the  apology  which  its  author  would 
make  for  its  appearance. 

It  was  begun  in  the  summer  of  1873,  at  Penikese 
Island;  and  has  been  retouched,  constantly,  since 
then,  in  the  hope  that  it  might,  at  sometime,  be  suit- 
able for  publication. 

As  it  seems  best  no  longer  to  withold  its  pages 
from  the  public — imperfect  though  they  may  be — 
they  are  now  presented  to  you  by 

The  Author. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE     JOURNEY. 

Penikese  is  a  name  ever  to  be  remembered  by  me 
with  the  greatest  of  pleasure, — for  it  was  there  I 
passed  some  of  the  happiest  hours  of  my  life.  I  re- 
member it  all:  the  ground,  with  its  undulating  billows 
sodded  with  the  sparing  green  and  brown  of  low 
grasses  or  covered  with  sandy  loam;  the  waters,  with 
their  rusty  and  smutty  rocks  rearing  their  jagged 
edges  above  the  quiet  expanse  of  the  bay,  or  dashed 
against  by  turbulent  waves;  and  the  boulders,  with 
their  whitened  faces,  lying  confusedly  as  they  had 
been  cast  upon  the  wave-beaten  beaches  or  strewn, 
like  ancient  sentinels,  here  and  there  about  the 
fields; — I  picture  them  all  as  if  it  were  but  yesterday. 
Then  the  buildings — the  laboratories,  the  lecture- 
rooms,  and  the  professors'  house — (the  last  the,  most 
conspicuous  of  them  all),  mean  in  themselves  yet 
dear  from  their  associations, — I  think  of  each  and  I 
love  each.  Ah!  Shall  I  ever  experience  such  free, 
such  happy,  such  truly  joyous  hours  again?  But 
let  me  tell  you  how  I  happened  going  to  Penikese 
Island,  and  what  I  saw,  heard,  and  did  there. 

I  had  been  sitting,  one  fine  morning  in  early 
spring,  by  a  cosy  grate  fire,  perusing  the  columns  of 
my  favorite  morning  paper,  when  my  eyes  fell  upon 
a  short  paragraph  which  instantly  arrested  my  atten- 
tion. It  was  the  notice  of  a  ''Summer  School  of 
Natural  History,"  and  read  as  follows: — 


10  PENIKESE. 

"Mr.  John  Anderson,  of  New  York,  has  presented  to  a 
body  of  Trustees,  the  island  called  Penikese,  in  Buzzard's 
Bay,  for  the  site  for  a  Summer  School  of  Natural  History,  to 
be  in  the  charge  of  Professor  Louis  Agassiz,  whose  purpose 
is  to  give  free  instruction,  to  teachers  of  the  sciences,  in  cor- 
rect methods  of  study  in  this  most  important  branch  of  edu- 
cation." 

The  subject  was  one  of  peculiar  interest  to  me, 
and,  as  I  read,  visions  of  what  a  grand  opportunity 
would  thus  be  afforded  to  study  Nature  so  filled  my 
mind,  that  they  took  complete  possession  of  my 
senses. 

Natural  History  was  always  and  is  now  for  that 
matter,  my  favorite  study;  one  might  almost  say  I 
had  been  born  and  bred  a  Naturalist.  From  my 
earliest  recollection  I  was  often  made  supremely 
happy  by  the  present  of  a  robin's  or  a  sparrow's  egg, 
or  some  other  similarly  common  natural  object,  from 
the  bounteous  collection  of  a  friend.  To  me,  if  was 
untold  gold.  If  an  egg,  I  would  hold  the  delicate 
shell  in  my  fingers,  slowly  and  carefully  turn  it  from 
side  to  side,  examine  its  glossy  surface  and  perfect 
proportions,  look  at  the  holes  in  its  extremities  to  see 
how  thick  the  shell  itself  might  be,  and  often — though 
I  hardly  dare  to  tell  it  for  fear  of  being  laughed  at — 
wonder  how  much  wind  had  been  required  to  expel 
its  contents.  From  my  first  egg  I  soon  reached  my 
hundredth — and  more.  Then  I  formed  the  plan  of 
making  a  general  collection  in  all  of  the  different 
branches  of  Natural  History  which,  carried  into  ef- 
fect, was  successful  beyond  my  most  sanguine  ex- 
pectation. Thus,  at  an  early  period  of  my  life,  in 
the  full  glow  of  scientific  ardor,  a  short  and  almost 
insignificant  newspaper  paragraph — insignificant,  per- 
haps, to  all  save  a  few — appeared  at  once  to  open  to 
me  a  possible  path  to  scientific  fame  and  attainment 
that,  in  my  youthful  ambition,  seemed  limitless.  The 
opportunity  and  the  Master,  the  best  that  the  coun- 
try, nay  the  world,  then  afforded!  I  immediately  ap- 
plied for  admission,  and  received,  by  return  of  mail, 
an  answer  from  Professor  Agassiz  himself — in 


THE  JOURNEY.  I  I 

his  own  hand-writing  and  with  his  own  autograph  at- 
tached— accepting  me  as  his  pupil  and  inclosing  full 
instructions.  Thenceforward  I  could  eat,  drink, 
think,  and  dream  of  nothing  save  Penikese.  Oh,  how 
I  longed  for  the  time  to  come  when  I  might  journey 
thither. 

At  length  the  day  for  my  departure  arrived.  How 
eagerly  and  with  what  a  glad  heart  I  packed  my 
trunk  and  valise  and  started  for  the  nearest  railroad 
station.  My  friends  must  certainly  have  thought  me 
hard-hearted  as  I  left  them,  shouting  my  good-byes 
from  the  top  of  the  coach  to  which  I  had  sprung, 
with  as  much  apparent  joy  as  if  a  rich  Uncle  had  just 
died  and  bequeathed  me  a  fortune,  and  I  was  forth- 
with going  into  the  possession  of  it. 

I  was  soon  on  board  the  train  and  travelling  toward  » 
my  destination.  How  slowly  we  appeared  to  move. 
It  seemed  as  if  I  might  easily  have  outdistanced  this 
or  any  other  train,  today,  on  foot, — and  yet  we  must 
have  been  going  at  a  fairly  rapid  speed.  Having  com- 
posed myself  as  best  I  could  I  found  amusement,  for 
a  time,  in  watching  from  the  window,  as  they  passed 
in  quick  succession,  the  fields,  covered  with  eurling 
stalks  of  young  grain  or  downy  with  soft  heads  of 
timothy  and  other  grasses;  the  new-mown  hay  lying 
in  loosely  scattered  heaps  or  gracefully-curled  swaths 
upon  its  bristling  stubble;  or,  here  and  there,  a  soli- 
tary person  still  working  at  his  daily  toil.  Close  by, 
in  a  nearer  portion  of  one  of  the  meadows,  a  tall, 
lank  individual  was  standing  on  an  immense  load  of 
hay,  upon  which  he  was  stowing  away  fork-full  after 
fork-full  as  it  was  pitched  to  him  by  an  equally  tall, 
lank  individual,  who  was  standing  on  the  ground  be- 
low; while  a  fine  pair  of  blacks  stood,  in  lamb-like 
attitude,  just  in  front  of  the  load.  Another  moment, 
and,  frightened  by  the  noise  of  the  train,  the  blacks 
were  scouring  the  fields,  like  a  pair  of  wild  prairie 
mustangs,  bearing  with  them  the  fast-decreasing  pile, 
— while  one  of  the  tall,  lank  individuals  was  assisting 
the  other  to  rise  from  the  ground.  Then  we  dashed 


12  PENIKESE. 

by  to  where  a  number  of  coatless  workers  were  rak- 
ing the  hay,  with  the  utmost  diligence,  into  small, 
rounded  piles,  that  it  might  the  more  easily  be  pitch- 
ed upon  the  cart  which  should  arrive  for  it.  Past 
these  we  went,  to  a  large  swamp  dotted  here  and 
there  with  hummocks  where  grasses,  huge,  rough 
brakes,  and  delicate  ferns  grew  in  luxuriance  and 
abundance;  and  upon  some  of  them,  nearest  the 
track,  I  could  even  distinguish  wild  flowers  rearing 
aloft  their  slender  stems  and  delicate  heads,  and  tell 
the  species  of  many  of  them.  Then  we  came  to  a 
long,  thickly-wooded  stretch,  where  a  forest  of  trees, 
large  and  small,  extended  far  along  the  track  on 
either  side,  arching  their  tops  and  intermingling 
their  branches  as  if  they  would  bind  us  with  their 
mystic  spell;  but,  like  a  prisoner  who  would  not  be 
bound,  we  dashed  through  and  by  them,  only  to 
emerge  into  the  light  of  still  more  fields,  and  still 
new  scenes.  Weary  with  gazing  at  these,  I  then, 
tried  to  count  the  telegraph  poles  as  they  appeared 
to  whiz  by  us,  or  watched  the  wires  as  they  travelled, 
or  appeared  to  travel,  now  up  and  now  down  my 
window,  as  the  height  of  one  pole  above  another  or 
the  inequalities  of  the  road-bed  showed  themselves. 
Thus/ amusing  myself,  now  with  this  scene  now  with 
that,  we  journeyed  on,  hour  after  hour,  until,  at 
length,  the  scene  materially  changed  and  salt  water 
put  in  its  appearance.  Then  the  houses  began  to 
thicken,  and  the  smoke  and  confused  arrangement  of 
a  big  metropolis  loomed  in  the  distance.  Presently 
the  train,  after  passing  through  a  perfect  labyrinthine 
maze  of  houses,  streets,  archways,  and  narrow  alley- 
ways, stopped,  and  we  found  ourselves  safely  landed 
at  the  "Hub  of  the  Universe" — Boston. 

From  Boston  we  left  directly  for  New  Bedford, 
where  we  arrived  about  seven  o'clock  that  evening 
and  immediately  engaged  rooms  for  the  night.  Here 
the  hotel  was  alive  with  excitement.  Carriages  were 
constantly  arriving  with  guests,— mostly  students  like 
ourselves,  and  bent  upon  the  same  errand.  Men, 


THE  JOURNEY.  13 

both  old  and  young,  were  going  to  and  fro  in  all  di- 
rections; porters,  carrying  huge  trunks  upon  their 
shoulders,  were  continually  running  against  the  pass- 
ers-by, or  stumbling  about  under  their  loads  to  the 
seeming  peril  of  a  bevy  of  small  boys,  who  were  in 
everybody's  way;  and  waiters,  with  white  aprons, 
nicely  balancing  upon  the  tips  of  their  fingers  large 
trays  filled  with  dishes,  were  hurrying  here  and  there 
in  apparently  endless  confusion.  The  clerk's  desk 
occupied,  very  nearly,  the  centre  of  the  room  or  long 
hall  in  which  we  found  ourselves  upon  entering  the 
hotel, — hence,  to  the  general  confusion  was  added 
the  bustle  and  crowd  attendant  upon  the  registering 
of  our  names,  and  bell-boys  showing  people  to  their 
rooms.  Nor  should  we  forget  the  numerous  boot- 
blacks, who  acted  their  part  in  the  scenes  about  us. 
To  get  my  supper,  and  find  my  room,  and  hasten 
toward  the  land  of  dreams,  was  the  work  of  a  com- 
paratively short  time, — though  it  seemed  hours  to  one 
who  was  so  tired  as  myself;  but  it  was  at  last  accom- 
plished. 

The  next  morning  I  awoke  very  early,  refreshed  both 
in  body  and  in  mind  with  my  night's  rest.  It  was  too 
soon,  as  yet,  to  arise;  and  so  I  lay  and  watched  the 
dancing  sunbeams  which,  through  the  blinds  of  my 
half-closed  windows,  shone  and  played  merry  pranks 
upon  the  opposite  walls  of  the  room,  while  the  trees 
outside,  stirred  by  the  light  off-shore  morning  breeze, 
sent  shadowy  images  of  fantastic  shape  moving, 
here  and  there,  among  them.  One  immense,  dumb- 
bell-shaped sunbeam  amused  me  greatly  in  its  at- 
tempts to  smash  a  fine  vase  upon  the  mantle  near 
by.  It  would  dash  at  it  with  unerring  accuracy  and 
terrific  impetus,  only  to  stop  short,  within  a  few 
inches  of  it,  and  return  immediately  to  its  former 
position,  leaving  the  vase  wholly  untouched.  Above 
this  beamed  another,  now  intensely  bright  now  quite 
dim;  and,  farther  on,  two  small,  active  little  fellows 
played  hide  and  seek  behind  each  other,  so  that  the 
two  became  one  and  the  one  two  again  each  alternate 


14  PENIKESE. 

moment.  At  length,  tired  of  watching  the  bright, 
roguish  sunbeams,  and  animated  by  a  lusty-sounding 
gong,  which  seemed  to  be  beaten  directly  in  front  of 
my  door,  and,  consequently,  for  my  express  benefit, 
I  sprang  from  the  bed  and  quickly  dressed  for  break- 
fast. After  the  morning's  meal  I  hastened  to  place 
my  baggage  in  the  hands  of  the  porter  whose  duty  it 
was  to  take  it  on  board  the  little  steamer,  which  was 
so  soon  to  convey  us  to  our  island  home,  and  then 
started  for  a  stroll  about  this  quiet,  quaint,  old- 
fashioned  city, — there  being  yet  several  hours  to 
spare  before  our  departure. 

I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  New  Bedford,  as  I 
was  in  it  for  so  short  a  time;  but  I  wandered  along 
one  or  two  of  its  principal  avenues,  admiring  the 
noble  dwellings  with  their  rich,  handsome  lawns, 
which,  like  miniature  parks,  fronted  the  streets  at 
the  farther  end  of  the  town,  and  then,  returning,  en- 
tered one  of  the  small,  dirty  by-streets  that  led  to  a 
neighboring  wharf,  to  which  I  directed  my  steps. 
What  a  sight  here  met  my  gaze.  Vessels  of  all  kinds 
and  sizes,  from  full-rigged  ships  to  perfect  swarms 
of  boats  and  dories,  lay  about  me  in  every  direction. 
It  seemed  as  if  there  were  thousands  of  them,  though 
doubtless  barely  as  many  hundreds.  Two  full-rigged 
men-of-war,  which  had  just  arrived  from  France,  as 
I  learned  afterwards,  anchored  some  distance  in  the 
bay  beyond  the  rest,  seemed  like  monstrous  guard- 
ians of  whaling  vessels,  steamers — large  and  small — 
brigs,  barks,  and  schooners  of  all  sorts  and  kinds. 
Vessels,  almost  new,  shone  resplendent  with  recent 
coats  of  bright  paint  above  the  rest,  but  most  were  so 
old  and  worn  that  you  could  almost  have  believed 
them  to  be  veritable  "Noah's  Arks."  I  could  not 
but  admire  several  beautiful  pleasure  yachts  that  lay 
at  anchor  in  the  bay.  I  could  see  them,  rolling 
about  from  side  to  side,  showing  their  smooth  planks 
and  well  made  forms,  and  bending  their  masts  grace- 
fully i.n  the  air  or  dipping  their  handsome  prows  far 
into  the  waters  which  surrounded  them.  How  I  en- 


THE  JOURNEY.  I  5 

joyed  the  scene.  It  seemed  to  have  a  fascination  for 
me  that  was  irresistible. 

Then  I  turned  my  attentioni.to  the  wharf  itself, 
which,  like  most  of  the  others  I  could  see  about  me, 
was  built  far  into  the  water.  It  was  covered  with 
heaps  of  boards,  new  and  bright,  old  and  dingy, 
some  immense  plank,  others  thin  deal, — and  one  very 
old  pile  came  tumbling  down  with  a  noise  like  thun- 
der, as  I  accidentally  stumbled  over  several  pieces 
which  extended  far  beyond  the  rest;  with  barrels,  ap- 
parently of  oil  and  tar,  whose  blue  sides  and  red 
ends,  thickly  streaked  with  an  abundance  of  the  same 
material  as  that  composing  their  contents,  showed 
up  on  all  sides;  and  with  piles  of  old  iron,  ballast- 
stones  and  spars  and  masts  of  vessels;  all  of  which, 
with  many  other  things  of  a  like  nature,  lay  scattered 
everywhere  around  in  endless  confusion. 

At  the  farther  end  of  the  wharf  were  a  group  of 
dirty,  bare-footed  little  urchins,  who  were  amusing 
themselves  with  all  sorts  of  doings, — one  could,  at 
first  sight,  barely  distinguish  them  from  the  brown, 
dirty  logs  or  barrels  amongst  which  they  played,  and 
whose  hands  and  faces,  as  well  as  their  clothes, 
seemed  equally  bedaubed  and  grimy.  Some  of  them 
were  playing  at  marbles,  while  others,  mere  lookers 
on,  were  lying  about  in  the  mud  and  dirt,  like  so 
many  flounders  off  the  pier  head  at  low  tide,  watch- 
ing the  progress  of  the  games.  On  a  low,  narrow 
stairway,  leading  to  the  water,  sat  several  youthful 
fishers,  who  appeared  in  high  glee  over  four  or  five 
poor  little  fishes,  barely  as  many  inches  long,  which 
they  had  succeeded  in  catching  with  the  most  primi- 
tive pole,  hook,  and  line  imaginable,  and  only  after 
long  and  patient  waiting,  doubtless,  upon  their  part. 
On  the  very  end  corner  of  the  pier,  a  most  wretched- 
ly dirty,  ragged,  and  diminutive  urchin  was  amusing 
himself  by  throwing  stones  at  the  numberless  small 
chips  of  wood  which  were  tossing  about  upon  the 
rippling  waters  beneath  him,  or  occasionally  "skip- 
ping" some  particularly  smooth,  flat  pebble,  which 


l6  PENIKESE. 

he  "had  selected  from  the  loose  earth  scattered  about 
the  pier  around  him,  to  the  great  delight  of  a  still 
smaller  specimen  of  existence,  who  jumped  about 
and  clapped  his  hands,  as  he  counted  the  skips,  most 
gleefully.  It  was  a  characteristic  scene  for  such  a 
place,  and  I  watched  it  all  with  idle  interest  whilst 
waiting  for  the  whistle  of  the  "Helen  Augusta"  to 
summon  us  on  board. 

From  this  scene  I  wandered  about  amongst  the  old 
whale  ships,  which,  like  huge  ghosts,  reared  high  in 
air  their  whitened  spars  and  exposed  their  bleaching 
sides  to  the  hot  sun,  or  lay,  in  various  postures, 
awaiting,  as  the  case  might  be,  the  hands  of  time  or 
the  renorvating  touch  of  busy  workmen,  while  upon 
some  the  carpenters  were  already  at  their  labors. 
Then  I  walked  up  and  down  the  narrow  streets  close 
by  the  wharves;  I  visited  many  of  the  shops  and 
small  warehouses;  and  amused  myself  in  every  way 
possible  until,  at  length,  aroused  by  the  shrill  scream 
of  the  tug-boat,  I  hastened  to  the  scene  of  hurry  and 
confusion  consequent  upon  our  starting  for  Penikese. 

On  arriving  at  the  wharf,  where  the  tug-boat  lay, 
I  found  it  literally  one  mass  of  moving  heads  and 
wagon-tops.  Everything  appeared  to  be  in  the 
wildest  disorder  and  everybody  to  have  lost  their 
senses  completely, — at  least  judging  from  the  crazy 
manner  in  which  people  persisted  in  getting  in  each 
others  way;  nor  was  the  confusion  less  noticeable  on 
board  the  steamer,  which  was  small  and  crowded. 
There  were  trunks,  hat-boxes,  valises,  boxes,  crates, 
and  baskets;  general  kitchen-ware,  cooking  utensils 
of  all  sorts,  and  furniture  mixed  with  Natural  History 
stores  and  apparatus;  all  lying  tumbled  together  so 
promiscuously  and  occupying  so  much  room,  that, 
in  company  with  several  others,  I  vainly  wandered 
seeking  a  place  of  repose  and  momentary  quiet  from 
the  human  storm  which  everywhere  surrounded  me, 
and  was  fain  almost  to  envy  even  the  dirty  little 
urchins,  whom  I  had  so  recently  left,  their  peace  and 
quiet. 


THE  JOURNEY.  I/ 

At  length  comparative  calm  reigned,  and  I  found 
a  moment  in  which  to  look  about  me,  and  to  note  the 
forms  and  faces  of  those  gathered  upon  the  deck  and 
in  the  waiting-room  of  our  little  steamer — all  of 
whom  were  eager  for  her  departure.  What  a  jolly 
set  they  were,  these  strange  forms  and  faces!  Old 
men  and  young  men,  elderly  ladies  and  young,  fair 
maidens.  A  varied  group  indeed, — yet,  for  all,  it 
looked  like  an  agreeable  one. 

When  the  second  whistle  sounded,  a  particularly 
shrill  and  startling  one  it  seemed  to  me,  what  a  scene 
ensued; — what  a  profusion  of  hand-shakings  and 
good-byes  were  given  and  taken  upon  every  side; 
slowly  the  tide  of  humanity  poured  down  the  boat's 
side  and  on  to  the  wharf  below.  And  now  the  steam- 
er had  completed  its  load.  The  dull  beat  of  her 
paddles  and  her  heavy  column  of  black  smoke  an- 
nounced that  we  had  left  the  pier  and  were  on  the 
move.  One  by  one  the  wagons  started  leaving  the 
wharf;  one  by  one  the  scattered  groups  of  people 
turned  from  the  dock  and  followed;  then,  finally, 
wharf,  people,  and  wagons  grew  further  and  further 
away  as,  with  regular  puff  and  plunge,  the  little 
"Helen  Augusta"  steamed  quietly  away  from  the 
dull,  hot  city,  and  out  into  a  clearer  atmosphere — 
upon  the  fair,  heaving  bosom  of  the  bay. 


CHAPTER  II. 

AGASSIZ  AND  PENIKESE. 

Buzzards  Bay!  What  a  glorious  mingling  of  land 
and  water!  Well  worthy  its  illustrious  discoverer, 
the  famous  Bartholomew  Gosnold.  In  fact,  both  our 
little  Penikese,  and  its  larger  neighbor,  Cutty  Hunk, 
have  contended  successively  for  the  distinguished 
title  of  "Gosnold's  Hat."  Adown  the  broad  bosom 
of  this  bay  we  glide.  The  passengers  crowd  the 
prow  and  stern  of  our  small  craft,  to  drink  in  the  de- 
licious draughts  of  cool,  fresh  air,  that  fan  the  cheek 
into  fairly  blushing  at  itself  as  it  tells,  so  plainly  to 
all  around,  its  secret  joy  at  this  occasion:  and  this  is 
the  group  most  of  whom  are  to  bear  me  company, 
during  a  willing  summer  exile,  in  an  enterprise  which 
is  to  unite  professor  and  pupil,  heart  to  heart  and 
hand  in  hand;  hearts  devoted,  and  hands  ever  ready, 
to  do  the  work  which  the  Master  shall  assign  them. 

Our  sail  to  Penikese  was  a  very  pleasant  one, — and 
now  mark  our  surprise:  As  we  approach  the  wharf, 
there  stood  Professor  Agassiz  himself,  who  had  thus 
anticipated  our  arrival,  with  beaming  face,  ready  to 
welcome  us;  and  his  warm,  enthusiastic  shake  of  the 
hand,  and  gentle,  winning  words,  which  were  ever 
new  and  fresh  to  each  one,  sent  a  glad  thrill  through 
each  heart.  How  proud  he  looked.  How  like  the 
kind,  benignant  father  to  us  all  that  he  indeed  was. 

After  the  handshakings,  he  lead  the  way,  up  the 
old  lane  or  cartpath,  to  the  place  of  meeting.  There 
all  seated  themselves  save  Professor  Agassiz,  he 
alone  remained  standing.  What  a  sight!  What  a 


20  PENIKESE. 

scene!     Would  that  some  canvas  might  contain    that 
picture. 

The  Hall,  or  place  of  meeting,  was  an  old  barn — 
still  retaining  its  ancient,  barn-like  appearance  with- 
out though  entirely  renovated  and  somewhat  remod- 
eled within.  Great  pains  had  been  taken  to  leave  its 
side  and  rafters  as  they  had  been,  and  bare, — yet  per- 
fectly clean.  By  a  partition,  was  made  a  small, 
square  room,  at  the  farther  end  of  which  were  ranged 
the  chairs  in  which  the  pupils  and  company  sat;  in 
front  was  a  long  table,  extending  nearly  across  the 
room,  around  which  the  more  highly  honored  guests 
were  placed;  behind  and  near  the  center  of  the  table, 
stood  Professor  Agassiz,  with  head  uncovered — with 
the  fingers  of  one  hand  barely  touching  the  table 
with  their  tips,  and  the  other  hand  within  the  breast 
of  his  coat.  In  a  moment  all  were  silent: 

"Then  the  Master, 
With  a  gesture  of  command, 
Waved  his  hand;" 

and  Professor  Agassiz  addressed  us: 

"My  friends!"  he  said,  "you  know  not  what  a 
pleasure  it  is  for  me  to  meet  you  all  here  today!  I 
have  looked  forward  to  this  as  being  a  very  happy 
event  in  my  life,  and  I  am  not  disappointed;  but, 
before  proceeding  with  our  business,  let.  us  look  to 
the  giver  of  all  our  good  things  in  thanksgiving.  I 
know  not  any  of  you,  therefore  cannot  feel  free  to 
ask  of  any  of  you  that  favor  which  I  otherwise  should 
do.  I  will  ask  you  all,  therefore,  to  join  with  me, 
for  a  few  moments,  in  silent  prayer."  Bowed  heads 
and  silence  responded  to  the  call,  as  all  joined  in 
that  solemn  occasion, — and  the  waves  dashing  upon 
the  rocks,  seemed  like  the  utterances  of  those  un- 
spoken words — while  a  thousand  white-winged  gulls, 
upon  noiseless  pinion,  filled  the  air,  and  seemed  like 
messengers  from  Heaven,  awaiting  only  to  catch  the 
spirit  of  those  words  that  they  might  bear  them  up- 
ward. 


AGASSIZ  AND  PENIKESE.  21 

After  a  few  moments  the  professor  addressed  us. 
He  thanked  us  all  for  coming  to  meet  him  on  that 
far  off,  lonely  island;  and  he  thanked  himself  for 
being  able  to  be  present;  he  thanked  the  kind  giver 
of  the  island  and  its  endowment,  Mr.  Anderson,  for 
himself  and  for  all,  that  he  had  been  moved  to  such 
a  generous  bestowment  of  property  and  happiness  to 
the  community;  and  he  thanked  the  friends  there 
present  at  its  opening  for  their  sympathy  with  the 
plans  of  the  trustees  for  the  institution,  as  well  as  for 
their  hearty  co-operation  in  furthering  those  plans: 
Then  he  thanked  God  for  his  goodness  to  them  all. 
After  this,  speeches  were  made,  and  many  prominent 
public  men  took  part  in  the  tributes  of  praise  that 
were  bestowed  freely  upon  all  interested  in  the 
school, — whether  teachers,  pupils,  or  any  that  sym- 
pathized with  the  grand  work  thus  initiated, — and 
the  company  broke  up,  happy  and  pleased  with 
their  first  public  introduction  to  Penikese. 

Our  first  day  at  the  Island,  thus  it  began!  It  was 
intensely  warm,  and  the  sun  shed  down  its  almost 
vertical  rays  upon  a  soil,  dry  and  sandy,  with  scanty 
vegetation,  though  with  a  liberal  supply  of  rocks  and 
boulders,  which  were  scattered  everywhere  about  the 
place.  Viewed  simply  in  itself,  it  was  a  most  unat- 
tractive spot,  and  at  first  I  could  scarcely  persuade 
myself  that  I  should  enjoy  my  stay  here, — yet  for  all 
the  unattractiveness  of  the  place,  a  secret  something 
filled  my  mind  with  pleasant  thoughts,  and  I  found, 
even  in  the  rocks  and  boulders,  and  the  dry,  sandy 
soil,  with  its  occasional  patches  of  green,  a  solace  for 
all  the  objectionable  features  of  the  situation.  We 
had  met  together  upon  this  desolate  island,  a  band 
of  brothers, — stranger  brothers  as  yet,  to  be  sure, — 
but,  although  still  unacquainted  with  each  other,  a 
common  bond  of  sympathy  was  drawing  us  nearer 
and  nearer  one  to  another — master  and  pupil — in  a 
friendship  that  was  to  last  a  life  time.  Thus,  at  the 
very  beginning,  each  rock,  each  grain  of  sand,  each 
blade  of  grass  even,  was  invested  with  an  interest 


22  PENIKESE. 

which  increased  daily  as  the  Master's  hand  directed 
our  attention,  and  his  thoughts  our  thoughts,  to  the — 
to  us  at  least — hitherto  unimagined  wonders  of  the 
objects  lying  everywhere  about  us.  Drawn  by  a 
common  union  of  mind,  sentiment,  and  purpose, 
there  had  met  together,  from  all  parts  of  the  United 
States,  two  score  and  ten  specialists — old  and  young, 
men  and  women — teachers  to  be  instructed  of  teach- 
ers. All  faults  and  differences  were  forgotten,  if  in- 
deed there  were  many  to  forget,  by  mutual  consent, 
as  each  worked  for  the  common  good  of  mankind. 
No  wonder  that  the  influence  of  these  persons  is  felt 
today  everywhere,  throughout  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  land,  as  they  reflect  the  light  of  that  wonder- 
ful man,  Louis  Jean  Rudolph  Agassiz..  Love  makes 
even  duty  a  pleasure.  One  short  hour  and  we  loved 
our  instructors  and  our  companions  we  loved  our 
little  sea-girt  island, — for  all  its  barrenness.  We 
looked  upon  everything  about  us  with  a  sort  of  rev- 
erence. All  had  a  meaning  now.  Do  you  wonder 
that  I  remember  those  days  as  some  of  the  happiest 
of  my  life?  But  active  preparations  for  dinner  are 
going  on,  it  would  amuse  you  to  see  them. 

Our  first  dinner  had,  for  the  most  part,  been  pre- 
pared in  New  Bedford,  and  brought  over  with  us  in 
the  boat.  The  room  in  which  we  were  to  dine  was 
almost  square;  and  the  doors  opened  near  the  centre 
of  one  side  of  the  building  and  next  to  the  partition, 
which  separated  the  dining-hall  from  the  kitchen. 
Close  to  the  windows,  upon  either  side,  were  two 
long  tables  running  lengthwise  of  the  hall,  which 
were  intended  for  the  students;  a  third  table,  running 
crossways  and  with  its  ends  directly  in  front  of  the 
entrance,  was  for  the  use  of  the  professors  and  their 
families.  There  were  rough,  homely  chairs  placed 
evenly  and  closely  to  the  white  table  cloth  and  neatly 
set  tables;  the  dishes  were  plain,  though  not  coarse; 
and  the  food  simple  yet  healthful.  All  things  seemed 
exactly  fitted  to  the  occasion.  Were  we  inclined  to 
grumble  a  little,  at  first,  at  both  our  food  and  our 


AGASSIZ  AND  PENIKESE.  2 3 

accommodations;  we  who  had  been  accustomed  to  the 
best?  If  so,  nobody  complains  now, — when  profes- 
sor and  pupils  share  alike.  The  Hall  was  crowded 
that  first  day.  As  soon  as  one  had  finished,  new 
plates  were  laid  and  ano'ther  occupied  the  place;  but 
our  waiters  were  so  well  trained,  that  we  scarcely 
had  occasion  to  remember  this  as  a  first  meal.  Al- 
though taking  some  time  to  accomplish  it,  our  party 
were  at  length  all  well  provided  for;  and  the  visitors, 
after  having  given  and  taken  most  hearty  and  cordial 
adieus,  hastened  on  board  the  little  steamer  once 
again,  and  were  soon  on  the  way  to  their  respective 
homes.  The  school  had  been  advertised  to  begin 
upon  a  certain  day.  Up  to  within  a  few  weeks  of  its 
commencement,  almost  nothing  had  been  accomplised 
saving  the  transfer  of  the  island  from  Mr.  Anderson 
to  its  trustees.  The  friends  of  the  institution  were 
despondent.  The  day  for  the  opening  arrived,  every- 
thing was  ready.  The  enterprise  was  a  grand  suc- 
cess. 

It  was  with  a  strange  feeling  that  I  watched  the 
"Helen  Augusta"  as  she  left  the  wharf,  and  steamed 
far  out  into  the  bay.  I  had  taken  my  station  irr  the 
old  fort,  upon  the  highest  part  of  the  island, — it 
looked  as  if  it  might  be  centuries  old,  perhaps  built 
by  the  famous  Bartholomew  Gosnold  himself,  the 
early  discoverer  of  these  regions;  and  from  thence  I 
watched  her  as  she  grew  farther  and  farther  away, — 
then  her  hull  and  smoke  stack  became  fainter  and 
fainter;  then  a  long  line  of  smoke,  hanging  heavily 
along  the  horizen,  with  a  small,  dark  speck  just  be- 
yond it;  these,  too,  soon  disappeared.  Then,  for  the 
first  time,  I  realized  that  school  had  begun. 

After  considerable  delay,  our  baggage  was  trans- 
ferred from  the  wharf,  in  the  most  primitive  manner 
imaginable — by  a  yoke  of  oxen,  and  an  odd,  old- 
fashioned  tip-cart, — to  the  door  of  the  dormitory; 
then  came  the  rush  for  claiming  property.  To  have 
seen  the  scrambling,  one  would  hardly  have  believed 
this  to  be  part  and  parcel  of  the  quiet  orderly,  assem- 


'24  PENIKESE. 

I 

blyof  but  a  few  hours  previous.  How  each  box, bag, 
and  trunk  found  at  last  its  respective  owner  is  a 
mystery  that  I  will  not  attempt  to  explain, — yet  it 
was  at  last  accomplished,  to  the  complete  satisfac- 
tion of  all  parties. 

Our  dormitory,  though  a  strange  looking  affair, 
was  most  admirably  adopted  for  the  purpose  for 
which  it  was  intended.  It  was  a  long,  two-storied 
building,  standing,  if  I  remember  correctly,  northeast 
by  southwest.  The  upper  floor  was,  as  yet,  in  an 
unfinished  condition, — though  the  carpenters  were 
now  busy  completing  it;  the  lower  room,  like  the  up- 
per, long  and  narrow,  was  divided  into  two  compart- 
ments, of  about  equal  length,  by  means  of  sailcloth 
•suspended  from  a  cord  running  high  up  across  the 
room.  Of  these  two  apartments  that  facing  the  bay 
was  occupied  by  the  ladies,  that  facing  the  island,  by 
the  gentlemen.  The  inside  arrangements  were  simi- 
lar in  both. 

The  interior  of  the  men's  apartment  was  arranged 
with  a  long  aisle  extending  from  the  door  through 
the  centre  of  the  room,  upon  either  side  of  which 
were  ranged  a  dozen  or  more  cot  beds.  At  the  foot 
of  each  bed  facing  it,  with  but  a  narrow  passage  be- 
tween, stood  a  bureau;  and  a  little  to  one  side  of  its 
head  a  small  washstand,  with  its  accompanying  nec- 
essary furniture.  A  chair,  and  a  simple  tallow  dip 
and  tin  candlestick,  with  a  few  matches  in  it,  com- 
pleted each  person's  outfit.  Our  trunks  were  placed 
behind  our  bureaus,  and  our  valises  anywhere  that 
room  could  be  found  for  them. 

We  were  obliged  to  pass  our  first  night  almost  in 
the  open  air.  The  window-sashes  were  without  glass, 
and  the  cool  breeze  swept  through  the  long  room 
unrestrained;  but  it  was  not  uncomfortable,  and  we 
did  not  mind  it  greatly.  It  was  late  in  the  afternoon 
before  I  had  unpacked  and  satisfactorily  arranged 
the  books,  clothing,  shooting  and  other  materials 
which  I  had  brought  with  me.  When  it  was  at  last 
accomplished,!  threw  a  shawl  over  my  bed, put  on  my 


AGASSIZ  AND  PENIKESE.  2  5 

•slippers,  and  lay  down  to  rest.  I  had  placed  the 
pillow  at  the  foot  of  the  bed,  that  I  might  the  better 
-drink  in  the  delightful  air  and  the  broad  ocean  scene 
which  spread  itself,  in  all  its  freshness,  before  me. 
What  a  lovely  view  it  indeed  was!  My  eyes  rested 
upon  a  gently  sloping  bank  of  the  most  delicate,  vel- 
vety green — appearing  the  more  beautiful  from  the 
scantiness  of  the  surrounding  vegetation — extending 
to  the  sea  itself,  which  rolled  long  lines  of  low  surges 
lightly  toward  it.  Further  on,  dancing  billows  and 
light  whitecaps  played  merrily  in  the  sunlight  of  the 
departing  day.  Then  the  surface  of  all  the  water 
was  tinged  with  the  most  fascinating  shadows  from 
the  dark,  fleecy  clouds  above;  they  changed  constant- 
ly; yet  their  very  changes  only  made  them  the  more 
beautiful.  In  the  far  distance,  sail  after  sail  would 
appear  and  disappear  as  a  mere  speck  of  light,  visi- 
ble only  by  long  watching.  Now  a  sail  would  shine, 
white  and  clear,  before  my  very  eyes, — another  and 
another,  farther  on;  the  shadows  had  hidden  them 
before.  There  were  nineteen  of  them  in  all — and,  in 
the  distance,  two  large,  three-masted  schooners. 
Then  a  .steamer  left  a  long,  dark  haze  of  smoke  .upon 
the  sky — poking  its  tall,  black  stack  into  sight  for  a 
moment  only  to  disappear,  like  many  of  the  sails,in  a 
long  umbre  cloud  which  lay  against  the  horizon. 
At  last  satisfied  by  the  scene,  and  fanned  by  the  deli- 
cious atmosphere  wafted  in  at  my  window,  laden 
with  that  peculiar  salt  sea  air,  so  intoxicating  to  a 
true  sea  lover,  I  fell  asleep,  to  dream  that  I  was  far 
out  upon  the  ocean,  in  a  small  schooner,  and  being 
softly  rocked  to  and  fro  from  the  "Nest,"  high  up 
on  the  foremast,  by  the  winds  and  gently  rolling  waves. 
I  do  not  know  how  long  I  slept,  but  I  awoke  with 
the  most  delightfully  refreshed  sensation  that  one 
can  imagine,  and  ready  for  almost  anything  that 
should  present  itself.  I  will  not  here  enter  into  a 
discussion  of  the  question,  as  to  how  much  sleep  the 
human  frame  needs,  at  what  times,  and  for  how  long 
a  time;  for  I  am  a  firm  believer  in  the  theory,  that 


26  PENIKESE. 

nature  herself  will  not  only  inform  us  as  to  when  we 
should  sleep,  but  will  also  determine  for  us  how  long 
we  should  sleep.  So  far,  at  least,  my  theory  has 
never  failed  me.  And  now,  after  a  most  refreshing 
slumber,  I  awoke  and  returned  once  again  to  the 
realities  of  life. 

Upon  arising,  I  found  my  companions  still  busy 
arranging  their  effects.  Though  everything  seemed 
in  apparently  the  most  endless  confusion,  with  every- 
body and  everything  in  everybody's  way,  there  was 
not  a  person  present  whose  face  did  not  glow  with 
happiness,  and  the  most  eager  and  intense  enthus- 
iasm. Each  seemed  specially  to  have  -partaken  of 
the  spirit  of  our  leader,  who  was  everywhere, — en- 
couraging, aiding,  and  directing.  The  workmen  were 
completing  their  unfinished  labors,  and  he  was  guid- 
ing them.  What  a  sight  to  watch  him!  He  was 
neither  haughty  nor  reserved,  as  many  who  were  un- 
acquainted with  him  would  fain  have  had  us  believe; 
but  he  mingled  freely  with  all.  His  genial  face,  and 
the  sincere,  earnest  tones  of  his  voice,  attracted 
everybody;  while  his  approval  of  the  work  already 
done,  and  the  directions  for  the  furtherance  of  his 
plans,  were  given  as  if  to  equals  rather  than  to  ser- 
vants paid  to  obey  him, — nor  did  I  hear  a  word  of 
complaint  spoken  against  Professor  Agassiz  for  any 
cause  whatever,  by  anybody,  while  I  was  upon  the 
island. 


CHAPTER  III. 

PENIKESE- AND  AGASSIZ. 

Supper  time  at  last,  our  second,  though  real- 
ly our  first,  meal  at  Penikese.  The  cooks  had  come 
to  the  island  in  the  same  steamer  that  we  ourselves 
had  arrived  in,  and  were  hardly  yet  fully  established 
in  their  new  quarters, — one  could  hardly  expect 
everything  to  be  perfected  at  once.  It  was  no  easy 
task,  that  of  opening  and  arranging  boxes,  bags,  and 
barrels,  and  sorting  and  storing  their  contents.  Then 
preparing  the  food  for  the*  table,  with  the  limited 
supply  of  culinary  articles  yet  at  their  disposal, 
would  have  taxed  the  patience  of  much  more  angelic 
individuals  than  those  same  "colored  brethren"  were 
supposed  to  be;  but  the  supper,  like  the  dinner,  was 
on  time, — as  was  everything  that  Professor  Agassiz 
superintended. 

There  is  a  trite  old  Latin  adage,  that  reads, 
"Fames  bene  condimentum  est,"  better  known  as 
"hunger  is  the  best  sauce  " — and  I  do  not  believe  that 
there  was  one  amongst  us  that  night  who  did  not 
fully  enjoy  all  that  had  been  provided  for  the  occas- 
ion, notwithstanding  the  difficulties  under  which  it 
had  been  prepared. 

After  supper  "the  school"  scattered  about  the 
island  in  every  direction,  singly  or  in  groups  which 
were  all  soon  lost  sight  of  behind  the  hillocks  and 
surrounding  rocks.  As  to  many  the  position  and 
general  appearance  of  Penikese  may  be  unfamiliar,  I 
will  try  to  give  you  a  glimpse,  though  a  very  imper- 


28  PENIKESE. 

feet  one,  of  its  location,  its  surroundings,  its  beau- 
ties, and  its  attractions;  yet  how  I  wish  that  you 
might  have  seen  it  as  I  saw  it,  and  known  it  as  I 
knew  it. 

Penikese  Island  is  situated  almost  directly  south 
of  New  Bedford,  though  perhaps  inclining  a  few 
points,  as  the  sailors  say,  to  the  westward,  and  is 
fourteen  miles  from  land.  About  three  miles  south 
of  it  lies  Cutty  Hunk,  which  was,  at  the  time  our 
school  first  opened,  owned,  in  part  at  least,  by  a  New 
York  club,  the  members  of  which  spent  their  sum- 
mers there  in  fishing,  hunting,  and  in  yachting. 
About  the  same  distance  from  Penikese,  and  east  of 
Cutty  Hunk,  lies  Nashawena.  It  is  an  immense  is- 
land, and  is  nearly  fourteen  times  the  size  of  its  little 
near  neighbor,  our  Penikese.  Still  farther  eastward 
lie  Pasque,  Naushon,  Nonamessett,  Uncatina,  and 
the  minute  Weepecket,  ranged,  with  the  exception  of 
the  last,  one  after  another,  in  a  crescent,  and  the  last 
separated  by  only  a  narrow  strait  of  water  from 
Wood's  Hole,  as  it  is  on  the  maps,  though  someone 
has  perverted  it  into  Wood's  Holl,  the  extremity  of 
the  mainland  in  this  direction.  The  "old-timers,"  of 
New  Bedford  and  its  vicinity,  arrange  the  names  of 
these  islands  in  a  little  verse  which,  they  say,  enables 
them  the  more  easily  to  remember  them.  It  is  as 
follows: 

"Naushon;  Nonamessett, 
Uncatina,  Weepecket; 
Nashawena,  Pesquinese, 
Cutty  Hunk,  and  Penikese." 

Of  course  we  cannot  see  all  of  these  islands  from 
our  school;  for,  unless  the  day  is  unusually  fine,  we 
see  very  little  excepting  old  ocean, — calm  and  glassy 
as  a  mirror,  or  tossing,  tossing,  tossing,  all  the  day. 
Yet  the  air  is  always  delightful,  we  have  no  smother- 
ing hot  days,  there  are  no  mosquitoes  to  keep  one 
within  doors  of  an  evening,  and,  after  a  steady  day's 
and  evening's  work — perfect  rest! 


PENIKESE  AND    AGASSIZ.  29 

Penikese,  itself,  is  an  hourglass-shaped  little  islet, 
and,  in  general  appearance,  though  evidently  not  in 
size,  "Gosnold's  Hat"  indeed,  — with  all  its  pokes 
and  crinkles,  and  just  as  its  owner,  having  '  grasped 
it  in  his  hand,  had  tossed  it  into  the  broad,  placid 
bosom  of  the  bay.  When  I  said  that  it  was  four- 
teen miles  from  land,  I  should  have  said,  that  it  was 
fourteen  miles  from  New  Bedford, — for  it  is  much 
nearer  the  little  village  of  Quansett,  directly  north- 
west of  it;  and  when  I  said  that  it  resembled  a  hat,  I 
should  rather  have  likened  it  to  two  hats  placed  side 
by  side,  the  one  smaller  than  the  other,  the  smaller 
one  lying  nearest  to  the  mouth  of  Buzzard  Bay,  and 
both  running  parallel  to  the  shore.  Little  Gull  Is- 
land is  a  minute  near  neighbor.  Thus  are  we 
situated. 

The  beauty  and  attractions  of  Penikese  Island  are 
not,  at  first,  apparent;  yet  no  lover  of  nature  can 
look  upon  green  slopes,  browned  and  whitened  rocks, 
plains  and  hillocks,  or  the  variety  in  contour  upon 
our  sea-girt,  rocky  island,  without  seeing  in  every- 
thing both  beauty  and  attractions.  To  us,  it  is  a 
Morgana's  fairy  isle, — with  always  something  new  to 
engage  our  attention,  and  wherein  we  would  willingly 
remain  our  hundred  years  or  more,  and  never  grow 
old.  We  wander  about  it.  On  every  crag  the 
sea  swallows  build  their  nests,  and  in  every  bank  the 
bank  swallows  dig  their  holes  wherein  they  lay  their 
eggs  and  rear  their  young.  The  turnstone  and  the 
plover  linger  all  day  among  their  dear  pebbles,  and 
the  sandpiper  brings  forth  its  nestlings  amidst  the 
sparce  vegetation  of  the  sanded  beach  above.  Birds, 
birds,  birds  everywhere!  The  ground,  the  air,  and 
the  waters,  abound  with  them;  and  the  sound  of 
their  notes  is  incessant.  The  cricket  and  the  grass- 
hopper sing  from  their  grassy  coverts,  and  all  nature 
smiles.  These  are  some  of  the  beauties  and  attrac- 
tions of  Penikese.  Thus  did  we,  I,  all  of  us,  find  it 
on  that  first  night,  as  we  strolled  here,  there,  every- 


3<D  PENIKESE. 

where,  about  our  little  pleasure-garden,  until  the 
darkness  closed  about  us  and  the  sea  sang  of  rest. 

Well  do  I  remember  that  first  night's  stroll  about 
the  island.  I  was  alone.  No,  not  alone,  for  all 
Nature  was  with  me,  and  I  communed  with  her  as 
with  a  fellow  being,  ever  by  my  side  listening  to  my 
youthful  fancies,  and,  sage  like,  propounding  at 
every  step  questions  which  I  might  never  fully  an- 
swer: Questions  of  the  birds  of  the  air  or  of  their 
nest,  eggs,  or  young,  close  by;  of  the  plants,  lichens, 
and  mosses  of  the  rocks  and  ground  about  me;  of  the 
very  sand,  earth,  rocks,  boulders,  and  ledges,  at  my 
feet;  or  of  the  fishes  and  marine  life  of  great  ocean — 
so  bounteous,  so  mysterious — before  me.  There  was 
no  need  for  us  to  search  long  for  "specimens;"  for  had 
our  school  lasted  two  years  instead  of  two  short  months, 
I  fancy  that  there  still  would  have  remained  much 
that  was  new  to  have  been  searched  for,  nay,  to  have 
been  found.  I  would  that  I  could  recall  all  the 
weird  fancies  that  came  to  my  mind  that  first  night, 
as  I  wandered  amongst  the  darkening  shadows  of 
those  rocky  sentinels;  as  I  peered  over  precipitous 
crags,  or  mounted  to  the  top  of  some  rocky  height 
from  which  to  view  the  fast  dimming  outlines  of  the 
lapping  wavelets  of  the  bay;  or  as,  in  some  cosy 
corner,  I  reclined  and  listened  to  the  murmur  of  the 
waves,  and  peering  into  the  surrounding  darkness, 
tried  to  distinguish  something,  where  I  knew  there 
was  nothing,  in  the  vast  beyond.  Halcyon  days,  in- 
deed! Halcyon  summer  evening,  were  they!  Do 
you  wonder  that  I  look  back  upon  them  with 
pleasure? 

As  to  our  daily  work,  the  routine  for  one  day  was 
much  the  same  as  for  each  successive  day  that  we 
were  upon  the  island,  and  we  soon  learned  about 
what  to  expect.  There  was  the  breakfast  horn,  the 
breakfast,  and  the  lectures,  which  all  or  part  might 
attend,  occupying  that  part  of  the  forenoon  not  de- 
voted to  exploring,  collecting,  or  dissecting;  and  then 
dinner  time.  After  dinner  a  similar  routine  occupied 


PENIKESE  AND    AGASSIZ.  3! 

the  afternoon  until  tea  time.  Sometimes  we  had  a 
lecture  after  dark,  while  we  often  dissected  by  candle 
light.  Thus  we  were  never  idle,  always  busy,  al- 
ways learning!  How  softly  and  how  pleasantly  the 
time  passed;  and  far  into  the  night  we  remained  re- 
writing our  daily  notes. 

Professor  Agassiz's  own  method  of  work  was  pe- 
culiar, and  differed  from  that  of  any  of  the  other 
professors,  though  many  of  them  imitated  him  as 
closely  as  they  were  able.  He  never  assumed  super- 
iority over  his  pupils;  never  attempted  to  annihilate 
them  with  his  wisdom;  but  yet,  being  superior,  he 
took  the  place  of  a  brother  as  well  as  that  of  a 
teacher.  As  brother  and  teacher  he  was  a  living  il- 
lustration of  the  truth  of  mottoes  which,  from  time 
to  time,  he  tried  to  impress  upon  his  pupils.  "If  you 
wish  to  learn,"  he  would  say,  "  there  must  be  no 
question  of  dicipline  in  the  class  room," — and  unruly 
members  were  dismissed  at  once  and  without  mercy. 
And,  again,  "Never  be  afraid  to  say  'I  do  not  know.'  " 
He  would  give  us  an  object,  and  oblige  us  to  study 
that  object  alone  for  days,  until  we  had  ascertained 
the  simple  and  yet  plainly  evident  principals  of  clas- 
sification involved  in  its  form  and  proportions. 
Rarely  would  he  tell  us  anything  about  any  specimen 
which  he  had  given  us  to  examine;  but  would  ques- 
tion us  day  by  day  until  we  had  told  him  the  history 
of  the  species,  as  we  were  able  to  discover  it;  or  un- 
til we  were  obliged,  from  the  mere  fact  of  finding 
nothing  else  to  say,  to  give  him  the  very  answer  for 
which  he  had  originally  given  us  the  specimen.  Un- 
til we  gave  him  this  answer,  we  were  subject  to  the 
closest  and  most  continued  scrutiny;  whether  the 
time  were  hours  or  days,  made  no  difference  to  him. 
I  once  discovered,  amongst  the  remnants  of  sand  and 
debris  in  my  collecting  net,  a  most  curiously  speckled, 
shell-like  or  seed-like  object,  which,  seeing  Professor 
Agassiz  near,  I  hastened  to  show  him.  In  the  eager- 
ness of  the  moment  I  asked  him  what  it  was.  He 
looked  at  it  intently  for  an  instant.  His  face  became 


32  PENIKESE. 

long,  then  wore  an  anxious  expression,  as  he  took 
from  his  pocket  a  small  lense  and  hastily  began  to 
examine  the  object  with  the  utmost  care.  Gradually 
a  smile  spread  over  his  features,  then  he  fairly  laugh- 
ed as  he  closed  the  lense  and  replaced  it  in  his  pock- 
et, and  handed  me  back  the  specimen  with  the  re- 
mark, "I  will  give  you  three  weeks,  Mr.  — ,  in 
which  to  find  out  what  it  is."  He  then  proceeded 
with  his  own  business  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 
The  following  afternoon  I  accidently  discovered  that 
my  specimen  was  the  cornea  of  a  crab's  eye,  which 
had  accidently  become  detached  from  some  speci- 
men I  had  captured,  and  which  had  remained  in  the 
bottom  of  the  net  after  its  owner  had  been  removed*. 
"That  man' could  get  more  out  of  me  in  three  week's 
time,  than  anybody  else  I  was  ever  under  in  three 
years,"  was  the  remark  of  one  of  his  pupils  to  me. 
Why!  For  in  seeking  one  point,  he  forced  from  you 
one  hundred  that  you  had  not  even  suspected  as  ex- 
isting before  you  began  your  search  for  it,  all  follow- 
ing each  other  as  a  natural  sequence.  He  was  a 
wonderful  man,  with  a  wonderful  receptivity  and  ex- 
tensive memory,  and  a  wonderful  capacity  for  teach- 
ing others;  but  words  fail  me  in  endeavoring  to  render 
a  just  estimate  of  his  character. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SCHOOL. 

I  have  now  introduced  you  to  Penikese.  Before 
unfolding  the  plan  of  our  work  there,  bear  with  me  a 
little,  while  I  go  back  and  rehearse  somewhat  of  the 
history  of  the  school  thereon,  since  it  is  very  prop- 
erly a  part  of  our  little  volume. 

Before  starting  for  Penikese  Island,  we  had  each  of 
us  received  a  variety  of  letters  and  circulars,  both 
printed  and  written,  relating  to  and  descriptive  of  the 
manner  in  which  the  school  was  to  be  conducted,  and 
the  line  of  study  to  be  pursued  there.  From  the  na- 
ture of  the  case,  I  judge  that  all  of  the  scholars  re- 
ceived similar  information.  I  do  not  possess  all  of 
these  valuable  papers,  I  only  wish  that  I  did,  but 
those  which  I  have,  embrace  the  most  important  ones 
and  are  fully  sufficient  for  our  present  purpose.  We 
will  open  the  package  and  select  those  which  seem 
most  clearly  to  convey  to  us  a  knowledge  of  the  in- 
tentions of  the  founders,  and  of  Professor  Agassiz, 
regarding  both  the  school  and  its  pupils. 

The  first  letter,  in  order  of  time,  appears  to  bear 
the  stamp  of  Professor  Agassiz's  personal  dictation 
and  so  I  will  quote  it  entirely: 

CAMBRIDGE,  MASS., 

May  18,  1873. 
Dear  Madam:* 

Applications  for  admission  to  the  Anderson  School 
of  Natural  History  are  pouring  in  at  an  embarrassing 


34  PENIKESE. 

rate.  Among  the  latest  applications  there  are  some 
which  seem  to  me  to  have  higher  claims  than  pre- 
ceding ones.  I  therefore  appeal  to  all  who  have  al- 
ready been  admitted  to  state  again  how  important  it 
may  be  for  themselves,  or  for  the  cause  of  education 
in  general,  that  their  individual  case  should  be  recog- 
nized, as  fifty  persons  only  can  be  accommodated  in 
the  laboratories  of  Penikese.  To  some,  admission 
next  year  may  perhaps  be  quite  as  useful  as  this  year. 
Any  failure  to  answer  this  request  within  a  fortnight 
will  be  considered  as  a  resignation. 


The  above  is  Professor  Agassiz's  autograph.  The 
circular  to  which  it  is  appended  was  a  written  one, 
and  was,  I  believe,  the  very  first  that  was  sent  to  the 
successful  candidates.  The  letter  of  acceptance 
being  (at  least  my  own  was),  a  personal  one  from 
the  professor  himself,  such  at  least  is  my  present  im- 
pression. You  may  be  quite  sure  that  there  was  no 
"resignation"  recorded  to  my  name,  and  I  answered 
the  communication  with  so  much  dispatch,  and  withal 
so  appealingly,  that  the  return  mail  brought  me 
another  from  Professor  Agassiz  himself,  short  and  to 
the  point,  telling  me  to  have  no  fear  for  or  doubt  of 
my  acceptance  as  a  scholar  of  the  school  at  Penikese, 


*  This  letter  was  addressed  to  a  young  man  whose  Christian  name 
-was  so  similar  to  a  name  often  applied  to  a  lady  that  the  applicant  was 
supposed  to  be  such. 


THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SCHOOL.  35 

"even  though  another  questioning  circular  should 
reach  you  shortly." 

During  the  early  part  of  the  winter  of  1872,  Prof- 
essor Agassiz  had  contemplated  opening  a  school,  of 
similar  character  to  that  which  Penikese  proved  to  be, 
on  the  Island  of  Nantucket  or  some  point  upon  the 
mainland,  perhaps  at  Wood's  Hole.  He  had  even 
printed  a  circular  which  advertised  a  "Course  of  In- 
struction in  Natural  History,  to  be  delivered  by  the 
seaside,  in  Nantucket,  during  the  summer  months, 
chiefly  designed  for  teachers  who  propose  to  intro- 
duce the  Study  into  their  Schools,  and  for  Students 
preparing  to  become  Teachers."  He  had  selected 
his  corps  of  instructors  and  lecturers,  and  assigned 
them  the  branches  which  he  wished  them  and  which 
he  saw  they  were  most  fitted  to  teach:  It  contained 
the  names  of  N.  S.  SHALER,  COUNT  L.  F.  de  POUR- 
TALES,  DR.  H.  A.  HAGEN,  A.  S.  PACKARD,  F.  W. 
PUTNAM,  J.  A.  ALLEN,  SPENCER  F.  BAIRD,  THEODORE 
LYMAN  and  many  others.  By  the  donation  of  Mr. 
Anderson,  the  location  of  the  school  was  now  defin- 
itely settled;  and  the  work  pushed  forward  with  the 
greatest  vigor.  It  ^vas  this  same  advertisement,  in 
substance,  that  was  sent  to  the  pupils  and  friends  of 
Penikese. 

The  work  of  preparing  Penikese  for  the  school  to 
be  held  there,  was  commenced  on  the  2Oth  of  April, 
at  which  time  a  site  for  the  buildings  was  selected 
and  a  general  plan  of  operations  arranged.  In  show- 
ing the  dispatch  with  which  Professor  Agassiz  con- 
summated this — as  in  fact  he  did  all  of  his  plans — 
his  grand,  culminating  life  work,  a  few  words  from 
one  of  his  reports  says:  "The  plans  were  at  once 
completed,  and  by  the  i6th  of  May  the  contract  was 
made  for  the  building.  On  the  28th  of  May  the 
timber  arrived  from  Maine  in  New  Bedford.  There 
the  building  was  framed.  On  the  5th  of  June  the 
first  cargo  reached  Penikese,  and  the  first  building 
was  raised  on  the  i/j-th  of  June."  We  have  seen,  in 
a  previous  chapter,  how  the  school  began  upon  the 


36  PENIKESE. 

day  on  which  it  was  advertised  to  begin.,  July  8.      Incred- 
ible dispatch!     Provident  accomplishment! 

The  same  day  that  the  timber  for  the  buildings 
reached  New  Bedford,  the  following  circular  was  is- 
sued:— 

"MUSEUM  OF  COMPARATIVE  ZOOLOGY, 

"Cambridge,    Mass.,  May  28,  1873. 

"MY  DEARM 

"In  attempting  to  organize  a  School  of  Natural 
History  upon  an  entirely  new  plan,  I  assume  a  grave 
responsibility  which  must,  in  a  measure,  be  shared  by 
those  who  may  seek  instruction  there.  To  avoid  dis- 
appointment, I  feel  it  my  duty  to  say  what  I  propose 
to  do,  that  those  who  may  not  like  my  course  should 
be  able  in  time  to  give  up  their  intention  of  placing 
themselves  under  my  direction.  It  is  proper,  also,  to 
add,  that  the  applications  for  admission  are  very  nu- 
merous, and  exceed  so  much  the  accommodations  of 
the  place  as  to  embarrass  me  greatly.  I  must  make 
hard  work  a  condition  of  a  continuous  connection 
with  the  School,  and  I  desire  particularly  to  impress 
it  upon  the  applicants  for  admission,  that  Penikese 
Island  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  a  place  of  summer  re- 
sort for  relaxation.  I  do  not  propose  to  give  much 
instruction  in  matters  which  may  be  learned  in  books; 
nor  do  I  wish  books  to  be  read  during  the  summer 
session  of  the  School  on  Penikese  Island.  I  want, on 
the  contrary,  to  prepare  those  who  shall  attend  to  ob- 
serve for  themselves,  that  they  may  hereafter  be  able  to 
make  the  most  of  their  opportunities  for  study  in  na- 
ture, in  whatever  part  of  the  country  they  may  reside, 
as  there  are  hardly  two  adjoining  school-districts  in 
which  the  same  objects  may  be  collected  for  examina- 
tion. 

"It  will  no  doubt  appear,  to  many,  a  \vearisome 
process  to  sit  for  hours  before  a  specimen  without 
any  but  a  very  general  direction  what  to  do  with  it. 
I  would,  therefore,  advise  all  those  who  wish  only  to 


THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SCHOOL.  37 

be  taught  Natural  History  in  the  way  in  which  it  is 
generally  taught,  by  recitations,  to  give  up  their  in- 
tention of  joining  the  Anderson  School. 

"My  plan  will  further  imply  the  obligation,  on  the 
part  of  all  present,  of  making  special  collections  to 
carry  home  and  use  as  a  basis  for  the  teaching  others, 
in  the  same  way,  I  propose  to  teach  myself,  with  the 
assistance  of  many  of  my  scientific  friends. 

"My  object  in  adopting  this  course  is,  not  only  to 
give  what  I  consider  to  be  the  best  instructions,  but 
also  to  show  how  teaching  should  be  conducted  by 
competent  teachers. 

"I  wish  it  were  possible  for  me  to  state  at  this  ear- 
ly day  what  the  expenses  for  board  are  liable  to  be 
for  the  season.  As  there  is  no  public  house  upon  the 
Island,  everything  must  be  provided  for  by  private 
arrangement.  I  can  only  say  that  it  will  be  furnished 
at  cost,  at  the  most  economic  rate;  and  that  no  tuition 
fee  is  to  be  charged. 

"The  course  will  probably  open  in  the  first  days  of 
July. 

"Yours  Very  Truly, 

L.  AGASSIZ. 

"Should  you  be  prevented  from  attending  please 
inform  me  early,  as  there  are  many  who  wait  anxious- 
ly to  fill  vacancies.  L.  A." 

This  was,  doubtless,  the  "questioning  circular"  be- 
fore referred  to,  and,  after  receiving  it,  I  was  in  a 
continual  state  of  nervous  excitement.  Fears  that 
the  School  would  begin  without  my  receiving  further 
notification  of  it,  of  a  thousand  different  things,  pos- 
sessed me;  but  I  occupied  the  time  as  fully  and  as 
profitably  as  I  was  able,  and  gave  old  bachelor  tea 
and  coffee  parties,  in  my  room,  daily  and  nightly,  to 
all  my  old  chums  and  their  friends,  as  often  as 
they  came  to  call  upon  me,  in  prospect  of  a 
speedy  departure.  It  was  not  until  nearly  a  month's 
time  had  elapsed,  that  I  heard  again  from  Penikese; 
but,  when  I  did,  it  was  in  the  shape  of  a  final  circular 


38  PENIKESE. 

which  gave  all  necessary  information  relating    to    the 
subject.      It  read  as  follows: 

" ANDERSON  SCHOOL  OF  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

"Cambridge,  Mass.,  June  26,  1873. 
"M 

"I  have  at  last  decided  to  open  the  Anderson 
School  of  Natural  History,  on  Penikese  Island,  at  12 
o'clock,  on  the  8th  of  July  next.  The  place  is  four- 
teen miles  distant  from  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  and  the 
city  is  easily  accessible  by  railroad  from  Boston  or 
from  Providence,  R.  I.  Persons  coming  to  join  the 
School  from  a  distance  would  do  well  to  arrange  their 
journey  so  that  they  may  reach  New  Bedford  Monday 
evening,  the  yih  of  July.  This  place  affords  good 
accommodations  at  the  Parker  House,  where  infor- 
mation concerning  the  boat  to  the  island  may  be  had. 
A  few  miles  to  the  east  of  New  Bedford  is  a  watering 
place,  Mattapoisett,  where  those  reaching  this  vicini- 
ty a  few  days  in  advance  may  pass  some  time  pleas- 
antly. 

"It  is  necessary  that  all  should  remember  that  Pen- 
ikese Island  affords  no  accommodation  for  strangers, 
and  that  therefore  nobody  can  be  invited  to  visit  the 
Island  during  the  session  of  the  School.  I  have  pro- 
vided rooms  and  board  for  all,  but  made  no  allowance 
for  supernumeraries.  As  it  is,  I  am  not  yet  able  to  say 
what  the  expenses  will  be.  All  the  arrangements 
have  been  made  upon  the  most  economical  plan. 
The  dormitories  have  been  built  at  the  expense  of 
the  School,  and  no  rent  will  be  charged,  beyond  a 
percentage  on  the  bedroom  furniture.  The  board 
will  be  charged  at  cost.  A  caterer  has  been  engaged 
who  will  provide  for  the  table  and  keep  the  rooms  in 
order,  superintend  the  washing,  etc.,  and  the  expense 
thus  incurred  will  determine  the  charges. 

"It  has  already  been  stated  that  the  instruction 
will  be  free.  Aquariums  have  been  provided  which 
will  take  the  place  of  books;  and  cans  and  other  nee- 


THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SCHOOL.  39 

essaries  for  the  preservation  of  specimens  will  be  'or- 
dered, and  may  be  bought  at  cost.  The  preparation 
for  these  collections  will  not  lead  to  any  considerable 
expenditure,  and  is  optional. 

"Very  truly  yours. 

"L.  AGASSIZ. 

"P.  S. — Should  you  be  prevented  from  coming, 
give  me  early  notice  as  there  are  many  waiting  for  a 
vacancy." 

I  regret,  very  much,  that  I  am  unable  to  discover 
among  my  papers  the  circular  containing  the  course 
of  instruction,  and  the  names  of  the  instructors,  as 
laid  out  for  this  first  year  of  the  Penikese  Island 
School.  It  would  be  both  valuable  and  interesting. 
I  prefer  giving  such  papers  entire,  when  possible;  but 
as  in  this  case  it  is  impossible,  I  will  describe  to  you 
briefly  our  course. 

The  programme  for  Penikese  (or  "Pune, "  as  it  is 
sometimes  called)  hardly  differed  from  that  which  had 
been  previously  prepared  for  the  Nantucket  School. 
The  former  certainly  possessed  many  advantages  over 
the  latter, — yet  the  main  purpose  and  aim  of  the 
"course"  remained  unchanged. 

Throughout  the  Summer  we  had  daily  lectures  from 
Professor  Agassiz — upon  Natural  History,  and  upon 
Geology;  and  his  talks  on  the  glaciers  and  the  glacial 
theory,  of  which  he  may  now  justly  be  called  the 
father,  were  full  and  very  interesting. 

Then  a  generous  citizen  of  Boston  donated  to  the 
School  a  fine  yacht,  for  sailing  and  for  dredging  pur- 
poses,— and  the  "Sprite,"  under  the  direction  of  that 
able  Naturalist  and  seaman,  Count  Pourtales,  carried 
dredging  parties  almost  daily,  or  as  often  as  the  weather 
would  allow,  throughout  the  season.  What  material 
was  thus  presented  for  study!  What  splendid  collec- 
tions we  made!  How  hard  we  worked  to  please  Pro- 
fessor Agassiz! 

Our  lectures,  the  more  important  ones  at  least,  were 
given  in  the  early  morning  and  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
day. 


4O  PENIKESE. 

Our  dredging  was  carried  on  between  times,  so  that, 
during  the  heat  of  the  day,  we  were  upon  the  water. 
Upon  our  return,  Professor  Packard  would  tell  us 
about  the  crustaceous  animals  and  the  insects  that 
we  had  captured;  Professor  Morse  would  take  up  the 
subject  of  the  shells  and  molluscous  animals  pro- 
cured; were  there  specimens  to  be  examined  through 
the  microscope,  Professor  Bicknell's  time  was  occup- 
ied, day  and  night.  Then  Professor  Jordan  describ- 
ed to  us  marine  algology;  Guyot,  physical  geography; 
Brewer,  ornithology  and  oology;  Hawkins,  extinct 
mammalians;  and  Mr.  Roetter  taught  us  to  draw 
them  all.  Then  a  dozen  other  gentlemen  talked  to 
us  upon  a  dozen  other  subjects,  so  that  our  note 
books  and  our  heads,  I  might  well  say  our  hearts  too, 
were  full  !  full  !  full  of  animals  and  the  animal  king- 
dom and  Professor  Agassiz,  who  knew  all  that  there 
was  to  know  about  them  both.  Well  do  we  now 
look  back  upon  Penikese  as  the  leading  scientific 
school  ever,  before  or  since,  in  existence.  Many  be- 
lieve that  it  will  never  be  excelled  in  its  character,  or 
in  the  ability  of  its  corps  of  instructors.  This  may 
be  going  far, — yet  it  is  as  certain  that  its  stimulus 
and  influence  will  be  felt  in  scientific  education  for 
years,  it  may  be  for  centuries  to  come. 

Professor  Agassiz  had  expressed  the  wish,  that  the 
school  at  Penikese  should  be  "associated  with  the 
Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology  in  such  a  way  as  to 
share  at  once  and  forever  in  any  advantages  to  be  de- 
rived from  an  institution  so  kindred  in  its  objects  and 
aims."  He  thought,  and  perhaps  very  wisely  and 
truly,  that  "the  two  establishments,"  could  "work  to- 
gether to  the  greatest  advantage  of  both."  The  lat- 
ter institution  is  today  a  monument  alive  to  fame, — 
the  fame  of  one  man.  A  man  whose  chief  aim  and 
accomplishment  was  to  work  and  to  teach  others  to 
work.  In  his  instruction  he  says:  "I  must  make 
hard  work  a  condition  of  a  continued  connection  with 
the  school."  The  nature  of  this  "hard  work"  was 
"to  prepare  those  who  shall  attend  to  observe  for 


THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SCHOOL.  41 

themselves."  More  fully,  it  was,  "to  study  nature." 
He  says: "We  should  make  nature  our  text-book;"and 
finally,  disparaging  text-books  as  generally  mere 
compilations  of  useless  and  untrue  materials,  he  as- 
serts, again  and  again,  that  "we  invariably  return  to 
the  study  of  the  things  themselves,  whenever  we 
wish  to  make  any  real  progress."  Nobly  did  he  prac- 
tice his  own  teachings. 

Athough  the  name  of  Agassiz  will  be  handed  down 
in  history  as  the  leader  in  scientific  thought  in  the 
nineteenth  century,  it  is  yet  certain  that  the  Master 
of  Penikese  was  neither  afraid  nor  ashamed  to  ac- 
knowledge that  to  another  was  due  the  idea  of  estab- 
lishing a  school,  after  the  manner  in  which  his  own 
classes  were  taught,  but  on  a  larger  scale.  In  a  let- 
ter to  Mr.  Anderson  he  says:  "I  have  long  cherish- 
ed the  thought  of  a  summer  school  like  the  one  pro- 
posed, and  I  have  at  various  times  in  my  life  tried  it 
with  small  classes,  and  for  a  few  days  or  weeks  at  a 
time.  The  idea  of  establishing  one  at  Nantucket,  on 
a  larger  scale,  was  suggested  by  a  young  friend,  Pro- 
fessor N.  S.  Shaler,  who  had  a  special  taste  for  and 
no  little  experience  in  this  kind  of  teaching;"  but  gen- 
erosity was  a  failing  with  Professor  Agassiz.  He 
showed  it  again  in  relation  to  the  name  of  the  propos- 
ed school,  when  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Anderson:  "As  to 
its  name,  I  hope  you  will  allow  the  school  to  be  nam- 
ed for  you;"  and,  "my  name  it  cannot  bear  with  any 
propriety;"  and  still  again,  "To  name  it  after  you  is, 
therefore,  the  simple  and  appropriate  way  of  settling 
the  question."  Mr.  Anderson,  with  equal  generosity 
wrote:  "I  learn  from  Mr.  Girod  that  you  have  ex- 
pressed a  wish  to  mark  your  appreciation  of  my  gift 
of  Penikese,  for  the  purpose  of  the  institution,  by 
naming  the  latter  after  me.  I  feel  necessarily  deep- 
ly flattered  by  this  offer,  and  can  only  say  in  refer- 
ence to  it  that  I  leave  that  part  of  the  question  entire- 
ly in  your  hands,  simply  suggesting  whether  an  insti- 
tution, the  initiation  of  which  has  been  wholly  the 
result  of  your  own  industry,  and  which  must  depend 


42  PENIKESE. 

for  success  mainly  on  your  own  labors,  should  not 
more  aptly  receive  its  designation  from  a  name  which 
has  become  almost  a  household  word  wherever  sci- 
ence is  known  and  appreciated, — that  of  Louis  Agas- 
siz. "  Thus  in  a^contest  of  generosity  will  two  names 
be  handed  to  posterity. 

Let  me  here  say  a  few  words,  and  a  few  words 
only,  of  the  donor  of  Penikese  Island:  Mr.  John  An- 
derson of  New  York,  who  generously  gave  the  island 
for  the  school,  and  seconded  his  gift  by  a  donation  of 
fifty  thousand  dollars  ($50,000)  for  its  erection  and 
maintenance.  This  school,  it  will  be -remembered, 
has  been  styled  both  "The  Agassiz  School  of  Natural 
History  at  Penikese"  and  "The  Anderson  School  of 
Natural  History  at  Penikese."  The  former,  from  its 
founder;  and  the  latter,  from  its  donor;  but  there 
seems  to  me  no  necessity  for  either  injustice  or  con- 
fusion in  the  matter,  whichever  of  these  titles  are 
made  use  of,  provided  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  the 
Anderson  School  was  simply  a  financial  and  substan- 
tial realization,  upon  a  larger  scale,  of  the  Agassiz 
School  of  Nautucket.  In  the  winter  previous  to  the 
opening  of  Penikese  the  Agassiz  School  had  been 
conceived,  arranged  for,  and  advertised,  from  the 
Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology,  at  Cambridge, 
Mass.,  (December,  14  1872)  as  a  "Course  of  Instruc- 
tion in  Natural  History  to  be  delivered  by  the  seaside, 
in  Nantucket,  during  the  Summer  Months,  chiefly  de- 
signed for  Teachers  who  propose  to  introduce  the 
Study  into  their  Schools,  and  for  Students  preparing 
to  become  Teachers."  No  fair  minded  person  will, 
then,  for  an  instant,  regard  it  as  an  injustice  to  either 
of  the  noble  men  to  recognize  the  school  by  either  or 
both  of  these  titles;  for  it  comprised  both.  I  regard 
Mr.  Anderson's  motive  in  making  the  whole  donation 
as  purely  and  wholly  philanthropic.  A  simple,  short 
paragraph,  clipped  some  years  later,  from  a  news- 
paper, whose  date  even  is  unknown  to  me,  reads: 
"Mr.  John  Anderson,  the  founder  of  the  Agassiz 
College,  at  Penikese  Island,  died  at  Paris,  France, 


THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SCHOOL.  43 

on  Thursday,  aged  69  years."  Alas  that,  as  I  write, 
Anderson,  Agassiz,  and  Penikese,  exist  save  as  a 
memory — yet,  as  such,  they  will  last,  with  me  at 
least,  forever  and  again  forever\ 

As  in  the  establishment  of  Penikese  was  recognized 
a  new  departure  in  scientific  education,  to  provide 
for  its  future,  and  that  the  public  might  at  once  fully 
understand  its  proposed  scope,  Professor  Agassiz 
advertised: 

"The  applications  for  admission  to  the  ANDERSON 
SCHOOL  OF  NATURAL  HISTORY  are  so  numerous  that  it 
has  been  decided  that  the  successful  pupils  of  a  pre- 
ceeding  year  should  have  the  first  claim  to  admission 
the  following  season;  next,  the  principals  and  pro- 
fessors of  colleges  and  of  high  and  normal  schools; 
next,  teachers  in  other  public  institutions;  and,  finally, 
teachers  in  private  schools.  Beginners  cannot  be  ad- 
mitted until  after  the  applications  of  these  several 
classes  of  pupils  have  been  met.  You  are  therefore 
requested  to  send  me  your  claims  to  admission,  be- 
fore an  answer  to  your  application  can  be  given. 

Respectfully  Yours, 

L.  AGASSIZ." 

But  a  second  year  with  Professor  Agassiz  was  a 
happiness  too  great  for  mortal  realization,  so  he  was 
taken  from  us — "not  lost,  but  gone  before;"  we  can 
only  follow  in  his  footsteps  and  search  after  him.  We 
will  follow  Nature  to  her  beginning, — but  we  will  find 
him  again.  The  same  patient,  loving  father,  friend, 
and  brother,  shall  again  clasp  our  hand  and  direct 
our  steps  from  Nature  to  Nature's  God. 

The  second  year,  and  the  last,  of  Penikese,  was 
conducted  by  Professor  Alexander  Agassiz,  Professor 
Agassiz's  son  who,  after  the  death  of  his  father,  as- 
sumed the  responsibilities  which  the  latter  had  left. 
This  term  was  conducted  on  very  nearly  the  same 
principle  as  the  first  had  been.  The  "course"  re- 
mained unchanged,  in  the  main,  and  nearly  all  the 
old  instructors  and  pupils  returned.  How  hard  we 


44  PENIKESE. 

all  worked!  It  was  a  delightful  summer!  Had  we 
never  attended  Penikese  the  previous  year,  it  would 
have  seemed  perfect.  But  we  mourned  for  our  Mast- 
er. We  longed  for  his  genial  face  and  kindly  voice. 
To  one,  at  least,  the  second  term  of  Penikese  was  but 
the  skeleton  remaining  in  the  closet  of  the  first  term. 


CHAPTER  V. 

LECTURES:     MORSE,  PUTNAM,    PACKARD. 

We  are  now  at  length  settled  quietly  to  work  lor 
the  summer  at  Penikese.  The  bustle  and  excitement 
and  arrangement  in  detail  of  the  work  of  the  first  few 
days  of  our  season  are  over,  and  we  cheerfully  "bend 
to  the  oar," — of  routine  which  is  not  routine,  and  of 
hard  work  which  is  truly  a  pleasure.  Our  time  is  all 
occupied:  When  we  are  not  attending  lectures,  or 
out  dredging,  or  otherwise  collecting  specimens,  we 
are  in  our  laboratories  dissecting  specimens,  using 
our  microscopes,  observing  the  animals  and  plants 
which  we  have  collected,  and  which  are  lying  around 
everywhere  in  pails  and  pans  of  water,  or  in  copying 
out  our  lectures.  Our  table  is  covered  with  knives, 
scissors,  forceps,  hooks  for  holding  back  the  sur- 
rounding membranes  from  those  upon  which  we  are 
at  work,  and  various  other  utensils.  There  are  bot- 
tles of  alcohol,  sea-water,  glycerine,  and  other  pre- 
serving fluids — some  with  specimens  in  them  and  some 
without;  there  a  large  tin  tray,  about  eighteen  inches 
long  and  a  dozen  wide,  half  full  of  alcohol  and  water, 
in  which  are  the  remains  of  a  skate-fish  with  the 
brains  exposed,  which  we  are  dissecting  with  a  view 
to  showing  the  five  pairs  of  nerves  aud  their  sur- 
roundings exactly  as  they  exist  in  nature,  and  with 
the  outer  membranes  and  flesh  held  back  by  pins, 
which  are  inserted  into  the  wax  in  the  bottom  of  the 
tray;  and  several  birds,  which  had  recently  been  shot, 


46  PENIKESE. 

were  lying  upon  the  table  ready  to  be  skinned  and 
mounted  or  dissected  and  bottled — as  were  our  other 
anatomical  specimens. 

Then  we  go  -to  our  lecture  room  and  take  notes 
from  our  Professors  as  they  talk  to  us.  Well  do  I 
remember  how  hard  Professor  Morse  labored  to  im- 
part to  us  some  knowledge  of  the  Molluscous  kingdom, 
or  the  so-called  shell-fish.  He  told  us  of  their  position 
in  the-  animal  kingdom,  of  how  they  were  grouped 
among  themselves,  of  the  internal  structure  of  each 
group,  andof  the  life  histories  of  many  of  the  indi- 
vidual  species.  .  Under  his  direction,  we  dissected 
many  of  the  larger  sea  molluscs,  which  we  captured 
in  our  nets  and  on  the  beach  at  low  tide, — and  found 
it  a  most  pleasing  occupation,  to  follow  out  the  va- 
rious systems  which  they  exhibited,  and  to  compare 
them  with  those  in  both  the  higher  and  lower  groups. 

I  remember  that  one  of  his  lectures  was  devoted  to 
the  Snails.  In  it  he  told  us  of  this  great  group, — 
how  that  they  were  called  by  naturalists  the  Pulmo- 
nata — from  the  Latin  pulmo,  a  lung;  and/m?,  I  bear — 
signifying;  that  which  they  in  truth  are,  the  lung- 
bearing  mollusks.  Then  he  explained  to  us  the  three 
great  groups  into  which  they  were  divided.  How 
well  I  remember  those  terrible  names — for  I  learned 
them  by  heart,  so  that  I  could  repeat  them  and  their 
meanings  over  and  over  again — the  Geophila,  from 
two  Greek  words  which  mean  earth  and  loving,  re- 
fering  to  their  terrestrial  habits;  the  Limnophila,  also 
from  two  Greek  words  which  mean  lake  or  pond  [fresh 
water]  and  loving,  owing  to  the  fact  that  while  the 
former  live  on  the  land  the  latter  prefer  the  shores 
and  mud-flats  of,  and  mud  in,  fresh  water  pools, 
ponds,  and  lakes;  and  the  Thalassophila,  or  those 
which  love  or  live  in  the  Greek  thalassa  or  the  sea, — 
these  being  marine.  His  remarks  were  confined 
mostly  to  the  first  two  groups,  more  especially  to  the 
land  snails.  He  told  us:  how  they  lived  under  rocks, 
stones,  boards,  the  trunks  of  fallen  trees  and  beneath 
their  bark,  and  even  amongst  the  decayed  leaves  of 


LECTURES.  47 

the  ground;  how  they  crawl  from  their  places  of  con- 
cealment and  sun  themselves,  on  warm  spring  days; 
that  there  were  no  distinctions  of  sex  amongst  them — 
both  genders  being  combined  within  each  animal; 
and  that  a  little  after  the  early  spring  they  begin  to 
lay  their  eggs,  in  large  numbers,  bunched  together, 
and  sticking  to  each  other  by  a  mucilaginous  sub- 
stance that  also  held  the  bunches  to  the  boards, 
stones,  bark,  or  leaves  under  which  they  were  laid; 
snails'  eggs  are  opaque  and  white,  being  longer  than 
broad. 

Then  we  learned  that,  if  the  weather  were  not  too 
damp,  the  young  animals,  with  complete,  though  at 
first  small,shell,  appeared  in  the  gelatinous  substance 
surrounding  them,  in  a  very  few  days  after  the  eggs 
were  laid, — though  it  generally  took  nearly  a  month 
for  them  to  become  fully  hatched;  that  warm  weather 
hastened  the  hatching  process,  though  the  eggs  were 
seldom  if  ever  laid  in  the  snn;  that  the  young  hatched 
themselves,  by  eating  the  shell  of  the  egg  which  in- 
closed them;  that  their  growth  was  a  rapid  one;  and 
that  they  fed  upon  vegetable  food. 

Here  the  Profeesor  stopped  to  describe  the  teeth 
and  tongue  of  snails,  and  to  draw  innumerable  dia- 
grams of  these  organs,  representative  of  the  different 
groups,  families,  and  genera  of  this  portion  of  the 
molluscous  kingdom.  In  continuing,  he  said,  that 
there  were  several  species,  however,  which  preferred 
animal  food, — one  variety  even  feeding  upon  the 
earth  worms  while  another  eat  its  own  eggs.  At 
about  the  first  frost  snails  hibernate,  or  in  some  snug 
retreat,  like  that  in  which  it  has  lived  during  the 
summer,  goes  into  regular  "winter  quarters;"  it  retires 
further  and  further  within  its  shell,  forming  mucous 
membrane  after  mucous  membrane  as  it  goes,  until 
there  are  five  to  eight  or  more  perhaps; — the  functions 
of  the  body  move  slower  and  slower,  until  they  at 
length  wholly  cease;  and  that  American  species,  as  a 
rule,  are  less  gregarious  than  those  of  other  regions. 
Some  species,  he  said,  had  no  shell  or  other  hard  cov- 


48  PENIKESE. 

ering  whatever,  and  were  then  called  slugs;  that  these 
were  nocturnal  in  their  habits,  and  committed  exten- 
sive injury  to  gardens,  which  they  are  fond  of  inhabit- 
ing; that  slugs  do  not  hibernate,  though  they  become 
torpid. 

This,  however,  formed  but  a  small  portion  of  a 
single  lecture:  yet  is  there  not  here,  even,  abundance 
of  food  for  thought  and  incentive  to  search  still  furth- 
er into  the  mysteries  of  Nature? 

Professor  Morse  is,  evidently,  an  ardent  evolution- 
ist; yet  in  spite  of  his  natural  inclination  to  protract 
his  lectures  into  some  abstruse  features  of  evolution, 
or  of  Darwinianism,  there  is  always  much  valuable  in- 
formation in  them  that  is  carefully  noted  and  remem- 
bered by  every  person  present.  Sometimes  he  tells 
us  about  that  most  wonderfully  curious  appendage  of 
the  bivalves  or  lamellibranchs,  the  crystalline  style, 
and  of  how  it  has  no  attachment  to  the  body, — this 
leads  to  an  investigation,  and  our  discoveries  are 
marvelous. 

One  of  his  talks  is  devoted  to  pearls,  and  we  learn 
that  pearls  are  formed  by  the  retention  by  the  mantle 
of  foreign  particles,  the  irritation  of  which  causes  a 
pouring  out  of  the  secretions  of  its  body  substances — 
thus  pearls  grow.  But  while  we  are  jotting  this  down, 
we  hear  the  equally  surprising  fact  that,  though  with 
the  majority  of  shells  both  sexes  are  combined  in  the 
same  animal,  with  the  Unios,  or  fresh-water  bivalve 
shells,  the  sexes  are  distinct  and  comprised  in  differ- 
ent individuals; — but  he  failed  to  tell  us  how  gener- 
ally, or  in  what  special  families,  this  bisexual  arrang- 
ment  exists  throughout  the  molluscous  kingdom — 
this,  then,  would  be  a  capital  point  for  investigation 
for  some  enthusiastic  naturalist  or  specialist  in  this 
department,  for  I  do  not  believe  that  it  has  e^er  been 
fully  or  accurately  determined. 

At  still  another  time  we  learn  that  the  shell  itself 
does  not  obtain  its  color  from  the  color  of  the  food 
which  the  animal  eats,  as  many  formerly  supposed. 
Of  many  samples  given,  the  Professor  laid  particular 


LECTURES.  49 

emphasis  upon  that  of  the  munera,  which  eat  green 
food  and  yet  had  a  red  shell.  It  is  with  such  inform- 
ation as  has  been  given  above  that  we  fill  our  note 
books  and  our  heads, — we  cannot  take  down  all  that 
he  tells  us,  much  as  we  would  like  to  do  so;  there 
might  be  a  few  favored  individuals  present  to  whom 
the  mysteries  of  shorthand  or  takegraphy  would  re- 
ward their  possessors  with  all  the  words  and  ideas  of 
our  Professor;  but  we,  an  editorial  we,  applying  to 
nearly  everyone  of  us  in  the  room,  are  not  so  far  ad- 
vanced in  this  peculiar  branch  of  education  but  that 
our  notes  embrace  but  a  small  part  of  the  hour's  dis- 
course, no  matter  how  diligently  we  may  struggle 
with  pen  and  pencil  and  abbreviated  English.  You 
will  doubtless  smile  as  you  read  a  page  of  my  origin- 
al notes — corrected  simply  as  to  its  language: 

"There  is  no  muscular  movement  in  the  opening 
of  the  valves  of  a  bivalve  shell,  but  simply  in  its 
closing;  in  the  one  case  the  ligaments,  contracting, 
push  the  shell  open,  in  the  other  it  pulls  it  from  the 
inside.  Lines  of  growth  upon  a  shell  indicate  its 
age.  The  muscles  of  the  margin  of  a  bivalve  shell 
are  to  enable  the  animal  to  draw  in  its  mantle.  To 
preserve  molluscs,  first  kill  the  animals  by  immersing 
salt-water  species  in  fresh  water  and  vice  versa,  and 
then  place  in  alcohol.  In  dissecting  such  animals, 
dissect  under  water,  or  water  in  which  a  small  quan- 
tity only  of  alcohol  has  been  put;  if  intervals  occur 
during  the  work,  replace  the  specimen  in  alcohol. 
What  is  ciliary  motion?  Ciliary  motion  ten  foot 
square  would  exert  a  force  equal  to  ten  tons.  It  is 
ciliary  motion  that  induces  a  current,  and  brings  the 
food  within  reach  of  the  palpi  (or  small  feelers,  as 
they  are  sometimes  called),  which  act  freely  at  a 
short  distance  only  from  the  mouth;  these  feelers  se- 
cure the  food,  mould  it  into  pellets,  and  convey  it  to 
the  mouth." 

At  this  point,  in  one  of  our  lectures,  sometime  yet 
before  the  close  of  the  hour,  one  of  the  men  brought 
in  a  huge  skate  fish  and  lay  it  upon  our  table.  All 


50  PENIKESE. 

exercises  were  postponed,  in  perfect  good  nature, 
while  Professor  Putnam  explained  to  us  the  differ- 
ence between  it  and  an  immense  sand-shark,  over 
which  one  of  the  scholars  was  just  then  working.  He 
told  us,  that  the  sharp  tubercles  of  the  skate  were 
identical  with  the  small,  rough  ones  of  the  shark;that 
the  skate  was  higher  in  its  position  in  the  class  than 
the  shark,  as  its  embryo  passes  through  the  form  of  a 
shark  before  becoming  an  adult  skate;  that  if  one 
were  to  flatten  a  shark  they  would  obtain  the  general 
appearance,  in  form,  of  the  skate;  a  fish  having  spir- 
acles, indicates  that  it  lives  near  the  bottom  of  the 
water;  that  neither  the  shark  nor  the  skate  possessed 
scales,  and  were,  therefore,  of  a  different  order  from 
that  of  the  majority  of  fishes;  and  that  the  character 
and  structure  of  the  scales  of  fishes  determined,  to  a 
large  extent,  the  relative  position  not  only  of  whole 
groups  of  fishes  but  even  of  many  individuals  in  each 
group. 

Later,  in  the  same  day,  Professor  Packard  added 
largely  to  our  stock  of  information.  Many  of  us  had 
sought  to  study  up  the  subject  of  Animalculae,  in  fact 
all  of  us  were  more  or  less  interested  in  it;  and  forth- 
with, jars,  bottles,  and  dishes  of  various  sorts  were 
filled  with  water,  and  large  quantities  of  the  very  best 
material  that  could  be  obtained,  for  breeding  and 
keeping  them.  Our  hitherto  rusty  microscopes  now 
fairly  gleamed,  in  expectation  of  the  marvels  soon  to 
be  laid  open,  through  them,  to  our  wondering  gaze. 
Professor  Packard  knew  all  about  such  things.  He 
told  us  to  "search  in  fresh  water,  rain  water,  water 
abounding  in  mosses,  and  marine  pools,  for  our  sub- 
jects of  study  and  investigation."  Somebody  brought 
in  to  us  specimens  of  worms  and  small  parasitic  crus- 
taceans,— and  of  where  and  how  to  find  others  and 
how  to  preserve  them,  he  told  us:  "You  will  find 
them  in  dissecting  fishes  and  reptiles,  in  nearly  every 
portion  of  the  body  and  in  the  viscera;  tape  and  sun- 
dry specimens  of  minute  worms  and  flukes  are  found 
in  the  body.  Place  them  at  first  in  weak  and  then 


LECTURES.  51 

transfer  them  to  strong  alcohol.  A  species  of  round 
worm  inhabits  the  flesh  and  muscles  of  certain  fishes. 
With  the  more  common  species  of  salt  water  wormsr 
allow  them  first  to  die  in  fresh  water,  and  then  pre- 
serve like  the  others.  One  species  floats  upon  the 
surface  of  the  ocean,  when  it  is  calm.  The  best 
time  to  collect  such  specimens  is  from  sunset  to  nine 
or  ten  o'clock  at  night,"  etc.  But  it  is  quite  impos- 
sible to  put  upon  paper  all  the  notes  which  we  col- 
lect for  our  note  books;  yet  we  hunt  everywhere, — 
we  fill  bottles  and  jars,  and  our  tables,  shelves,  and 
the  floor,  even,  is  filled  with  them:  specimens,  speci- 
mens, specimens,  EVERYWHERE.  Our  professors  lec- 
ture to  us  of  nothing  else;  our  time  is  spent  in  secur- 
ing and  dissecting  them, — yet  the  more  we  learn  the 
more  there  seems  to  be  to  learn  about  them. 


LECTURES:  AGASSIZ. 

It  is  from  such  sketches  of  our  lectures  as  those 
just  given,  that  the  reader  will  obtain  a  glimpse,  faint 
and  .imperfect  though  it  may  be,  of  a  single  day's,  do- 
ings at  Penikese.  The  crumbs  that  have  been  garnered 
thus  for  your  benefit  would  form  but  a  part,  and  a 
small  part  at  that,  of  a  single  day's  work.  On  an  av- 
erage, four  lectures  a  day  and  often  a  fifth  in  the  eve- 
ning, besides  laboratory  and  field  work,  form  our 
regular  daily  task;  then  we  write  our  notes  out  in  the 
evening.  Do  you  wonder  where  our  time  for  rest 
comes  in?  We  have  none — our  work  is  rest;  and  yet 
there  is  not  one  of  us  who  does  not  enter  into  all  this 
willingly.  A  certain  President  of  Amherst  College 
once  asked  the  late  Professor  Charles  U.  Shepard, 
the  well-known  mineralogist,  what  he  considered  the 
"three  most  important  elements  of  success  to  the 
young  man  during  his  college  course."  The  Profess- 
or replied,  without  an  instant's  hesitation,  "the  first 
is  work!"  Then  with  a  pause  of  several  moments, 
he  continued,  "and  the  second  is  WORK!"  and  again 


52  PENIKESE. 

pausing,  as  if  to  impress  his  hearer  with  its  impor- 
tance, "and  the  third,"  here  a  much  longer  pause 
than  any  of  the  others  even,  "is  WORK!"  and  he 
emphasized  the  word  with  all  his  power.  Whether 
borrowed  or  not,  the  phrase  contained  then,  as  it 
does  now,  the  only  solution  to  the  question.  This  is 
what  we  did  at  Penikese  Island. 

The  lectures  of  Professor  Agassiz  are  so  individu- 
alized in  character  that  they  may  very  properly  form 
a  distinctive  feature  of  this  little  sketch  of  our  school. 
There  are,  no  doubt,  flaws  in  the  matter,  which  is 
here  presented  as  "notes"  only, — but  if  such  occur, 
they  will  doubtless  be  due  more  to  the  youth  and  in- 
experience of  the  pupil  who  took  them  down  than  to 
the  possibility  of  mistake  on  the  part  of  the  lecturer; 
but,  such  as  they  are,  we  give  them  to  the  reader. 

Professor  Agassiz's  first  lecture  was  made  up  of 
somewhat  disconnected  suggestions  as  to  the  manner 
in  which  we  should  go  to  work  to  study  the  material 
to  be  found  at  hand,  about  and  around  us,  upon  the 
island.  He  said: — 

"I  would  call  your  attention  first  to  the  soil  and 
geological  formation  of  our  island.  Points  of  com- 
pass are  a  very  essential  feature  in  geological  forma- 
tion. We  find  that  the  barracks  lie  nearly  east  and 
west.  You  will  then  find  that  the  islands  are  cut  in- 
to by  numerous  bays,  necks  of  land,  etc.,  and  the 
question  arises  how  are  these  formed?  Then  you 
must  find  out  all  about  the  rocks,  their  connection 
with  the  island  and  their  connection  with  each  other: 
the  difference  in  the  material  beyond  the  rocks  and 
beneath  them;  the  difference  of  soil;  and  then  how 
•the  whole  resemble  those  of  the  adjoining  islands. 
Find  if  there  be  any  evidence  of  these  islands  ever 
having  been  connected.  In  our  investigations  we 
must  deal  with  facts  of  Nature — this  teaches  us  always 
to  submit  to  truth. 

"Now  let  us  turn  our  attention  to  the  jelly  fishes, 
barnacles,  fishes,  etc.,  which  will  form  our  chief  study 


LECTURES.  53 

v 

here.  Do  not  handle  any  specimen  more  than  is 
absolutely  necessary,  you  never  know  to  what  extent 
you  have  injured  it.  Put  your  jelly  fishes  into  pails 
of  water  by  floating  them  from  the  net  to  the  pail. 
A  word  more  about  our  rocks:  each  one  must  collect 
specimens  for  himself.  There  will  be  found, 
probably,  upon  our  island,  three-fourths  or  even 
nine-tenths  of  all  kinds  of  rocks  in  the  United  States. " 

At  another  time  he  again  took  up  the  subject  and 
said: — 

"Most  all  of  the  rocks  upon  our  island  are  imbed- 
ded rocks,  not  rocks  in  place.  Some  of  the  neigh- 
boring islands  show  rocks  in  place.  Our  first  ques- 
tion, upon  seeing  them  is,  Where  did  they  come 
from?  The  mineral  foundation  of  our  earth  is  alike 
everywhere.  This  was  first  shown  by  Humboldt. 
When  you  find  a  rock  not  in  position,  hunt  for  one  of 
the  same  kind  in  position, — then  search  for  specimens 
between  the  two  localities,  and,  if  possible,  trace 
their  connection.  Loose  materials  are  called  erratic,. 
or  boulders,  etc. ;  the  whole  bulk  is  called  drift\. 
ledges  and  the  like  are  called  rocks  in  place.  Our 
island  probably  contains  specimens  of  all  of,  our 
rocks,  excepting  those  of  volcanic  origin.  Your 
specimens  should  all  be  broken  afresh,  upon  all 
sides,  so  that  they  may  be  more  accurately  studied. 
Rocks  found  near  the  water  are  usually  assorted 
(those  of  a  size  being  together),  the  larger  ones 
lying  higher  up  than  the  small  ones.  On  hills  and 
away  from  the  agency  of  water,  they  are  mixed;  the 
small  and  the  great  lying  together.  By  this  means 
we  recognize  the  two  agencies  that  are  at  work  de- 
positing them." 

The  third  lecture  was  devoted  chiefly  to  hints  upon 
how  to  study  the  jelly  fishes,  and  was  illustrated  by 
numerous  diagrams.  Toward  the  end  he  digressed 
from  his  subject  to  give  us  a  few  remarks  upon 
fishes, — especially  regarding  the  Scup,  a  specimen  of 
which,  recently  taken,  someone  had  brought  to  him. 


54  PENIKESE. 

Of  it  he  said:  "The  Scup  is  not  found  north  of 
Cape  Cod,  neither  is  it  found  extensively  in  South- 
ern waters.  The  American  coast  does  not  furnish 
many  species  of  this  family,  though  they  are  com- 
mon in  the  Mediterrean  and  are  called  Sparoids." 
He  then  gave  us  the  names  of  the  fins  and  facial 
bones  of  fishes.  Professor  Agassiz  was  always  care- 
ful as  to  the  books  which  he  recommended  for  our 
perusal.  Upon  the  jelly  fishes  he  noticed  but  two: 
Allman's  "Monograph  of  English  Jelly  Fjshes," 
and  Edward  Forbes'  "Medusae." 

We  come  now  to  perhaps  the  most  interesting  por- 
tion of  Professor  Agassiz's  lectures,  and  those  which 
embody  his  own  original  and  personal  work.  They 
are  given  in  as  nearly  the  exact  phraseology  as  it 
was  possible  to  obtain  them,  and  commenced  some 
what  as  follows: — 

"Nothing  is  more  difficult  than  to  present  a  sub- 
ject whose  evidence  is  incomplete.  Regarding  the 
aqueous  or  other  origin  of  our  island,  its  geological 
formation  does  not  present  sufficient  evidence  for  us 
to  form  an  opinion  as  to  that  origin  that  is  capable  of 
being  sustained.  There  are,  at  the  present  day, 
many  false  views  of  great  scientific  questions  held  for 
want  of  sufficient  evidence  to  assert  the  truth.  One 
fact  is  but  a  small  part  of  the  whole  evidence.  A 
great  deal  of  our  knowledge,  even  at  the  present  day, 
is  traced  back  to  Aristotle.  The  sources  of  true 
knowledge  are  very  few.  Christianity  has,  in  a 
measure,  prevented  the  advance  of  science.  It  has 
made  us  believe,  and  many  are  satisfied  with  that. 
Science,  generally,  hates  beliefs. 

"In  1836  I  first  felt  an  interest  in  these  things.  I 
began  to  investigate  everything.  I  was  at  the  foot 
of  the  Alps,  when  I  found  that  the  shepherds  had  a 
theory  that  the  masses  of  rock,  everywhere  to  be  seen 
about  them, had  been  brought  down  to  their  present  pos- 
ition by  what  were  then  known  asgtariers.  An  eminent 
civil-engineer,  who  was  then  present,  held  the  same 


LECTURES.  55 

view.  Hitherto,  the  theories  respecting  the  geologi- 
cal formation  of  the  earth,  as  held  by  Werner,  were 
that  all  this  material  had  been  brought  together  by 
water  and  flood;  the  Scottish  school  of  scientists 
maintained  that  it  had  all  been  accomplished  by  vol- 
canic action.  A  violent  feud  ensued.  Leopold  Von 
Buch  asserted  that  both  were  right.  He  gave  to 
geology  its  present  shape.  I  was  then  a  student. 
Being  at  the  foot  of  the  Jura,  I  saw  rocks  in  places 
where  it  was  impossible  for  water  to  carry  them. 
The  thought  came  to  me  that  glaciers  transported 
rocks  in  Switzerland,  and  why  not  here  also?  I 
thought:  why  might  not  glaciers  occur  in  other  coun- 
tries than  Switzerland?  I  went  to  other  countries 
and  studied  the  evidence.  I  found  that  the  rocks 
which  glaciers  moved  were  polished,  or  rough  and 
scratched.  Water  rocks  were  hollowed  in  soft  spots, 
thus  making  prominent  the  hard  places.  Ice  pro- 
duces a  smooth  surface.  Pebbles  worn  by  water  are 
smooth  like  a  hammered  surface — but  dull,  not 
shiny;  ice  polishes  the  surfaces  and  scratches  them. 
If  the  ice  goes  in  one  direction  all  the  creases  will 
run  in  one  direction.  Loose  pebbles  scratched  by 
ice  and  by  water  are  also  different.  Erratic  boulders 
are  always  found  in  connection  with  loose  materials 
which  are  scratched  and  polished.  Loose  materials 
are  not  stratified.  I  found  out  these  facts  in  my 
study  in  Germany,  France,  and  in  other  countries. 
I  went  to  England,  and  there  found  evidence  of  this 
glacial  action.  I  was  with  a  friend — Mr.  Buckland 
— and  we  were  at  first  alone  in  our  theory. 

"The  conclusion  we  reached  was,  that  at  one  time 
the  globe  was  much  colder  than  it  is  at  present.  In 
science  one  should  never  suggest  anything  for  which 
there  is  not  some  foundation.  The  glacial  period 
must  have  been  posterior  to  the  geological  period 
when  mastodons  and  elephants  inhabited  the  whole 
globe  and  the  climate  was  more  tropical  than  it  is 
now.  We  estimated  that  ice  was  once  10,000  to 
12,000  feet  deep  all  over  the  globe.  It  is  chiefly  in 


56  PENIKESE. 

temperature  that  changes  occur.  If  ever  our  island 
(Penikese)  was  below  the  sea,  why  not  find  the  same 
rolled  pebbles  and  low-tide  marine  animals?  No  sea 
has  been  beating  here,  for  we  find  no  sand  or  loam 
has  been  washed  away.  All  the  loose  materials  re- 
main in  place.  The  greater  part  of  the  local  pecu- 
liarities, such  as  depressions  and  inequalities,  will 
have  been  produced  by  rain.  Glacial  action  will  ex- 
plain the  peculiarities  we  see  on  land  here.  There 
is  nothing  so  hard  to  protect  as  a  man's  intellect. 
We  can  get  no  patents  on  our  investigations." 

The  same  subject  follows  in  his  next,  or  fifth  lec- 
ture:— 

"A  geological  period  or  age  ago,  the  surface  of  the 
earth  was  covered  with  boulders;  this  was  before 
there  were  either  plants  or  animals  to  be  found  upon 
it.  Now  to  understand  and  to  translate  the  trans- 
portation of  glacial  rocks  we  must  understand  the 
formation  of  glaciers.  The  idea  of  glacial  motion 
originated  with  the  peasants  of  Switzerland.  A  civil 
engineer,  Werner  by  name,  and  a  peasant,  Charpentier, 
however,  got  much  of  the  credit  for  field  observation 
which  I  had  myself  done.  In  1837  no  geologist  ad- 
mitted that  rocks  were^moved  by  glaciers;  most  of 
them  admit  it  now,  though  in  a  somewhat  modified 
condition.  The  early  scientists  who  were  interested 
in  and  studied  into  this  subject,  were  Scheuchzer, 
who  also  first  described  several  fossil  fishes;  Horace 
Benedict  de  Saussure,  who  published  his  travels  in 
the  Alps,  and  who  first  described  glaciers;  Charp- 
entier, who  studied  them  considerably  and  published 
articles  upon  them;  and  myself,  Professor  Forbes, 
and  Mr.  Tyndall,  who,  lately,  described  their  physi- 
cal constitution,  action,  etc.  Of  these  Mr.  Tyndall's 
work  is  the  best.  We  now  come  to  the  question, 
What  is  a  glacier? 

"Glaciers  are  composed  of  different  materials  ac- 
cording to  the  positions  selected  for  investigation. 
On  mountain  tops  they  are  mere  snow  fields;  deeper, 


LECTURES.  57 

they  are  composed  of  ice  crystals,  the  ice  becoming 
more  and  more  compact  as  you  go  downwards;  until 
the  bottom  is  clear,  solid  ice.  Snow  when  re- 
solved into  fine  granules  is  called  neve:  where  this 
changes  to  ice  is  called  'the  limit  of  perpetual  snow.' 
Physical  geographies  are  incorrect  in  their  state- 
ments of  the  snow-level  on  the  Straits  of  Magellan 
and  many  other  places.  Similar  conditions  are  found 
at  the  same  line  of  perpetual  snow;  they  are  also 
similar  in  the  same  number  of  degrees  distant  in  dif- 
ferent localities.  Glacial  ice  differs  from  common 
ice, — the  first  is  composed  of  ice  crystals  melted  to- 
gether and  can  be  reduced  to  powder,  the  latter  is 
formed  in  layers.  Glaciers  possess  a  motion  in  them- 
selves which  is  both  an  upward  and  a  downward  mo- 
tion; it  is  greatest  in  the  middle,  and  least  upon  the 
edges.  Moving  ice,  therefore,  exerts  a  great  power. 
As  the  glacier  moves,  it  collects  a  large  quantity  of 
loose  materials  which  it  carries  along  with  it.  Part 
of  this  material  over-crowds  itself  and  forms  a  low 
line  of  rocks  on  either  side  of  the  glacier:  these  lines 
are  called  lateral  moraines.  When  two  glaciers  or 
two  arms  of  the  same  glacier  unite,  they  continue  as 
one,  while  their  lateral  moraines  unite  and  form  a 
medial  moraine.  The  bottoms  of  glaciers,  then,  be- 
ing covered  with  rocks,  act  like  an  immense  rasp. 
In  passing  over  walls  of  rocks,  or  open  faces  of  ex- 
posed ledges,  both  the  upper  faces  of  the  under 
rocks,  and  the  under  faces  of  the  upper  rocks,  which 
are  in  the  glacier,  are  scratched  and  scarred  alike. 
Yet  the  rocks  which  are  in  the  glacier  will  still  be  an- 
gular above  where  only  the  ice  covers  them.  Now 
the  continual  motion  of  the  ice  pushes  forward  the 
larger  rocks,  and  at  the  same  time  all  the  loose  ma- 
terial is  ground  still  finer;  and  each  pebble  rounded 
in  a  manner  which  is  never  produced  by  water. 
Thus  the  moraines  are  ground  more  and  more  as 
they  advance,  so  that,  whatever  their  shape  may  at 
first  be  they  come  out,  at  the  end  of  the  glacier, 
rounded  material;  and  when  the  glacier  begins  to 


58  PENIKESE. 

melt  and  to  recede  they  are  deposited  as  single  or 
successive  terminal  moraines.  These  are  crescent- 
shaped  ridges  or  walls  of  rock  and  loose  material. 
If  small  glaciers  will  accomplish  so  much,  what 
might  not  large  ones  do?" 

In  his  sixth  and  seventh  lectures  he  still  continues: — 
"When  a  glacier  meets  with  an  obstacle  it  breaks 
and  forms  crevices.  You  will  find  no  crevices  in 
neve.  The  more  compact  the  ice  the  deeper  and 
broader  these  are.  In  a  hot  day  the  sides  of  the 
glaciers  melt  and  form  small  brooks.  These  are 
sometimes  too  wide  to  cross.  They  carry  with  them 
an  immense  amount  of  rubbish,  which  fills  up  many  of 
the  cavities  and  gaps,  and  makes  pot-holes  and  new 
excavations.  Sometimes  one  of  these  brooks  will 
traverse  the  whole  length  of  a  glacier. 

"The  geological  phenomena  connected  with  glacial 
action  are  extraordinary.  There  are  boulders  upon 
the  Jura  which,  in  mineral  character,  have  been 
traced  to  the  Alps;  and  at  the  foot  of  the  Alps  is  a 
pudding-stone  which  is  found  in  the  Jura.  There  is 
no  doubt  as  to  where  it  came  from.  Professor  Guyot 
has  done  more  than  any  other  man  in  studying  erratic 
phenomena.  He  has  proved,  that  what  is  in  reality 
done  between  the  Alps  and  the  Jura  has  been  done 
by  glaciers  and  not  by  water  sweeping  up  the  plains. 
Water  would  leave  transverse  ridges  of  rocks,  while 
those  which  occur  are  in  longitudinal  ridges,  and 
must  have  been  caused  by  glaciers  from  the  Alps. 
How,  then,  while  Switzerland  w7as  so  cold  could 
England  and  other  countries  have  been  so  warm.  / 
think  that  the  whole  globe  was  covered  with  ice.  I 
have  found  traces  of  glacial  action  everywhere  in 
mountainous  districts  that  I  have  searched.  In  the 
White  Mountains,  north  of  Franconia  mountains,  is 
a  ridge  of  thirteen  plain  morraines.  They  occur  on 
all  sides  of  the  mountains,  also.  There  are  signs  in 
New  York,  Ohio,  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Massa- 
chusetts, as  far  as  British  America,  and  still  other 


LECTURES.  59 

places.  Everywhere  is  evidence  of  a  great  glacial 
sheet,  of  immense  thickness,  passing  over  mountains 
five  and  six  thousand  feet  high,  which  left  boulders 
of  a  similar  nature  upon  their  tops  and  each  of  their 
sides.  I  think  that  the  ice  in  some  places  must  have 
been  at  least  fifteen  thousand  feet  thick.  It  moved 
in  a  North-South  direction.  In  Siberia,  Asia,  and  in 
the  United  States,  gigantic  animals  were  found  im- 
bedded in  the  ice,  in  perfect  preservation,  and  show- 
ing the  contents  of  the  stomach, — proving  that  they 
must  have  been  overpowered  suddenly, — perhaps  by 
frost.  I  think  that  our  large  and  small  rivers  are  the 
result  of  the  melting  of  these  glaciers. 

"Drift  phenomena  must  be  studied  locally.  There 
must  have  occurred  local  ice  which  distributed  itself 
in  plains  different  from  that  which  came  down  from 
the  mountains.  The  idea  that  the  glacial  period  was 
simply  an  extension  of  the  Arctic  ice  is  nullified  by 
the  fact  that  at  the  southernmost  limit  of  that  ice 
sheet  is  a  large  moraine.  The  drift  wanes  in  dis- 
tinctness from  north  southward.  This  period,  there- 
fore, was  not  an  enlargement  of  the  northern  glaciers. 
In  America  are  intimations  of  local  glaciers,  but  they 
are  few;  for  example,  in  the  White  Mountains,  on  the 
coast  of  Maine,  and  especially  at  Mt.  Desert.  The 
characteristic  of  drift  in  America  is  that  it  extends 
over  a  plain  evenly,  and  without  indications  of  lat- 
eral moraines.  The  hills  on  the  borders  of  Lake 
Superior  are  scarred  over  their  whole  surface,  slope  and 
summit.  Indications  that  this  action  has  been  even 
from  north  southward  is,  that  the  south  side  of  the 
rocks  is  not  polished,  but  the  boulders  are  rough  and 
unmarked.  In  some  places  there  are  deviations  of 
much  less  extent  running  from  20°  to  30°,  sometimes 
almost  at  right  angles  with  the  main  line:  these  are 
indications  of  local  glaciers — these  often  run  north- 
west and  southeast.  Another  peculiarity  of  Ameri- 
can glaciers  is  that  most  of  our  boulders  are  rounded 
— those  of  Europe  and  Scotland  are  angular;  where 
we  have  circumscribed  glaciers  we  have  rounded 


6O  PENIKESE. 

boulders.  We  seldom  find  median  moraines  in 
America.  The  Arctic  glaciers  encroach  largely  upon 
the  sea.  Our  continent  has  once  extended  into  the 
sea  in  the  shape  of  a  drift.  The  level  at  which  the 
drift  extended  over  all  these  islands  was  the  same.  I 
think  that  these  islands  were  once  mainland.  Local 
glaciers  have  been  described  in  many  localities,  es- 
pecially by  Professor  Dana;  but  they  are  the  effect  of 
a  great  northern  drift  and  not  from  local  causes,  as 
might  be  implied." 

Toward  the  last  of  the  session  he  returned  to  the 
subject  and  gave  us  his  final  lecture  upon  this  won- 
derful subject.  He  says: — 

"Perhaps  the  most  important  feature  of  glacial 
action  is  found  in  the  terminal-moraine.  It  contains 
a  mineralogical  collection  from  all  the  region  around, 
which  comes  from  the  upper  regions  and  falls  or  is 
detached  by  the  glaciers,  and  all  pushed  together 
toward  this  terminal  point  of  the  ice.  To  examine 
these  moraines  and  trace  the  specimens  found  to 
their  real  or  probable  bed  rock  is  a  most  important 
labor  of  the  geologist.  That  glacial  action  was  once 
carried  on  to  an  extent  much  greater  than  could  have 
been  possible  had  the  period  begun  with  an  enlarge- 
ment of  the  Arctic  glacier  seems  evident.  Thus  we  find 
copper  identical  withLakeSuperior  copper  in  Michigan, 
Indiana,  and  Iowa,  and  even  as  far  as  500  miles  south 
of  its  origin,  having  distinct  marks  of  glacial  agency 
upon  it.  The  rate  at  which  glaciers  moved  in  Amer- 
ica is  not  certain.  In  the  Alps,  where  the  slope  adds 
to  the  inclination,  the  maximum  motion  per  day  is 
one  foot;  the  minimum  thirty  inches  per  year.  Let 
us  assume  that  our  glacier  moved  100  feet  a  year, — 
and  it  will  take  fifty  years  for  the  boulder  to  go  one 
mile  or  25,000  years  for  it  to  reach  its  present  po- 
sition." 

[It  has  often  struck  me  as  a  curious  fact  that  in  es- 
timating geological  time  Professor  Agassiz  (as  well 
as  others)  appears  to  make  no  account  of  the  fact  that 


LECTURES.  6 1 

were  the  motion  of  the  glacier  thirty  inches  a  year  the 
period  would  be  forty  times  that  amount  or  1,000,000 
years;  if,  on  the  other  hand,  the  motion  were  faster,  the 
time  would  decrease  in  proportion.  The  rate  of 
time  necessary  to  accomplish  a  given  object  may  not 
always  correspond  with  the  numerical  calculations  of 
writers.  Experiments  in  the  chemical  laboratory 
are  sufficiently  numerous  to  show  the  different  actions 
of  the  same  substance  under  different  conditions, 
say  some  substances  precipitate  in  10  minutes  with 
sufficient  heat  that  might  otherwise  remain 
10  or  10,000  years  without  that  heat,  and 
to  make  us  pretty  careful  as  to  how  we  lay  down  a 
law  upon  insufficient  evidence.  Hence,  our  given 
geological  time  must  be  more  or  less  hypothetical 
under  any  circumstances. — ED] 

"Large  animals  being  found  imbedded  in  the  ice 
are  evidence  of  its  coming  quickly.  It  is  not  likely 
that  a  snow  storm  capable  of  freezing  large  animals 
in  Siberia  and  North  America  would  be  limited  to 
one  particular  region.  It  would  be  graded  according 
to  latitude.  The  question  is,  how  much  was  there  in 
the  coldest  latitude;  how  much  in  the  warmest?  Let 
no  one  fail  to  urge  upon  the  members  of  any  expe- 
dition to  the  Arctic  regions  the  importance  of  ascer- 
taining the  motion  of  Arctic  icebergs  and  glaciers. 
This  motion  can  be  ascertained  by  the  amount  of  ice- 
bergs which  float  away  from  their  extreme  southern 
limit." 

It  is  thus  that  we  learn  the  first  principles  of  gla- 
cial action.  How  careful  our  instructor  is  to  distin- 
guish facts  as  truths;  and  possibilities,  only,  he  weaves 
into  theories,  which  he  is  very  careful  to  impress 
upon  us  arc  possibilities.  In  a  letter  made  public 
some  years  since,  he  said:  "The  office  of  Science  is 
not  to  record  possibilities,  but  to  ascertain  what  Na- 
ture does,"  again — as  far  as  one  "deals  with  mere  ar- 
guments of  possibilities  or  even  probabilities,  with- 
out a  basis  of  fact,"  he  says,  that  one  "departs  from 
the  true  scientific  method."  These  words  are  as  true 


62  PENIKESE. 

today  as  they  were  the  day  they  were  uttered;  they 
will  be  as  true  a  thousand,  yes,  ten  thousand  years 
hence:  Living  truths  that  never  die. 

Professor  Agassiz  lectured  to  us  every  day,  and 
sometimes  two  or  three  times  a  day.  His  sugges- 
tions to  us  in  our  study  of  the  Animal  Kingdom  and 
upon  embryology  were  also  of  the  greatest  interest 
and  importance.  At  one  time  he  tells  us: — 

"We  begin,  today  a  course  of  lectures  on  the  Ani- 
mal Kingdom.  To  know  how  the  knowledge  was 
obtained  we  must  study  the  history  of  Zoology. 
There  was  a  time  when  animals  were  studied  by  their 
external  features  alone,  and  scientists  knew  so  little 
about  classification  that  they  arranged  their  informa- 
tion alphabetically.  One  of  the  earliest  scientists  to 
which  we  refer  today  was  Caspar  Gessner  (this  should 
doubtless  have  been  Conrad  Gesner,  though  it  is 
Caspar  Gessner  plainly  in  the  notes  taken  at  the  time 
the  lecture  was  given).  The  first  classification  of 
animals  was  into  aquatic,  aerial,  and  land  animals. 
Aristotle  was  one  of  our  earliest  and  best  scientists. 
Linnaeus'  Systema  Natura  is  a  marvelous  work,  con- 
sidered from  our  greater  and  his  lesser  knowledge  of 
the  subject  of  which  he  treats.  The  period  of  Cuvier 
is  as  remarkable  as  that  of  Linnaeus.  He  introduc- 
ed anatomy  as  the  basis  of  classification,  (there  were 
three  editors  of  his  Regne  Animalia,  in  1817,  1829,  and 
in  1834).  Contemporary  with  him  was  Carl  Ernest 
von  Baer.  He  studied  embryology  and  arrived  at 
the  same  conclusions.  He  gave  to  the  Animal  King- 
dom four  classes.  Dollinger  was  the  founder  of  em- 
bryology. He  was  great  as  a  guide  to  further  labors, 
— Baer  was  his  pupil.  Sanders'  Embryology  of  the 
Chick  is  an  important  work  for  students  in  embryol- 
ogy. Ostroeicher's  studies  on  the  capillaries  were 
written  under  Dollinger's  directions.  Oken  wrote 
from  suggestions  made  by  Goethe.  The  elder  Carus 
and  Geoffrey  St.  Hillaire  works  contained  the  studies 
of  homologies, — the  latter  is  now  a  most  important 
work  for  the  continued  advancement  of  Zoology- 


LECTURES.  63 

Will  someone  explain  the  difference  between  analogy 
and  homology?  Of  embryology  as  a  study  in  itself 
Professor  Agassiz  said:  "It  is  a  wonder  that  such 
broad  and  comprehensive  generalizations  could  have 
been  made  upon  a  basis  of  knowledge  derived  from 
so  few  animals." 

Again,  he  takes  up  embryology  and  says:— 
"The  eggs  of  birds  were  known,  and  their  parts 
named,  very  early;  these  have  been  transferred  to  all 
other  eggs.  We  have  the  yolk,  with  its  vitelline 
membrane;  the  white;  the  shell  with  its  two  lining 
membranes  with  the  air  space  between  them  at  the 
larger  end;  and  the  suspensory  cords.  Of  all  these 
the  yolk  alone  is  necessary  in  producing  the  young, — 
in  fact,  the  others  may  all  be  wanting.  Eggs  can  be 
of  any  form.  The  yolk  is  a  fluid,  organized,  and  at 
first  appears  albuminous.  The  blastoderm,  or  life 
portion,  is  surrounded  by  a  congregation  of  light  cells 
which  cause  it  to  always  appear  on  the  top — no  mat- 
ter how  the  egg  may  be  placed.  Baer  discovered  the 
mammalism  egg,  and  about  the  same  time,  1837,  the 
cell  doctrine  was  advanced.  Through  the  influence 
of  Schleiden  the  structure  of  animals  and  plants  be- 
gan to  be  compared.  Studies  of  cells  and  the  cellu- 
lar structure  has  been  continued  ever  since.  They 
described  the  cell  membrane,  the  nucleus  or  point  of 
special  life,  and  the  nucleolus  or  point  within  this 
point.  Microscopists  sought  cell  tissue  everywhere. 
Embryologists  sought  the  smallest  eggs.  All  parties 
agreed,  finally,  that  eggs  were  cells  destined  to  an  en- 
larged growth — a  peculiar  development  and,  ultimate- 
ly, an  individual  existence. 

"Forty  years  ago  the  theme  of  science  was  the 
function  of  organs:  Today,  it  is  cells.  The  minute 
tentacle  of  the  hydroid  polyp  contains,  at  once,  cells 
— nervous,  muscular,  and  assimulative.  Thus  all 
structures  are  formed  of  differentiated  or  specialized 
cells;  all  parts  of  animals  are  formed  of  cells.  The 
study  of  the  changes  undergone  by  these  cells  has 
only  just  begun.  Until  we  know  how  new  individ- 


64  PENIKESE. 

uals  originate  we  cannot  speculate  upon  the  origin  of 
species.  With  a  power  of  noo  diameters  we  see,  in 
these  minute  eggs,  small  dark  spots  in  the  stroma. 
We  know  nothing  of  the  properties  of  these  bodies. 
All  we  can  tell  is  that  dots  of  all  sizes  may  be  seen, 
hence  we  conclude  that  the  dots  grow.  In  the  larger 
dots  we  notice  a  difference  between  the  periphery  and 
the  center,  the  latter  being  less  dense.  Next  we  see 
a  central  condensation.  Later  a  mere  hollow  until 
we  get  a  perfect  nucleus.  Finally,  one  or  several 
germinal  dots, — and  we  have  the  so-called  ovarian 
egg  of  the  embryologists  with  which  they  begin  their 
investigations." 

Well  do  I  remember  how  often  Professor  Agassiz 
urged  us  to  "read  only  the  best  books."  He  seemed 
especially  fond  of  Cuvier's  works,  and  time  and  again 
impressed  it  upon  us  that  they  were  a  "most  valuable 
basis  for  scientific  study."  Among  his  odd  table- 
talks — for  he  often  talked  to  us  from  the  breakfast, 
the  dinner,  and  thetea  table — and  even  many  other 
times,  in  the  laboratory,  and  anywhere  where  that  he 
could  find  an  object  to  talk  about  and  a  group,  of  two 
or  three,  even,  to  talk  to.  "Be  sure"  he  would  say,  "to 
examine  all  protozoa  which  you  may  secure,  to  see 
whether  they  are  independent  individuals  or  different 
stages  of  the  same  individual."  In  urging  a  study  of 
Physical  Geography,  he  would  add,  "for  a  knowledge 
of  Physical  Geography  is  indispensible  to  any  student 
of  Natural  History."  He  heartily  indorsed  Professor 
Guyot's  works  upon  that  subject.  There  were  few 
books  he  did  recommend  to  us,  for  he  cordially  de- 
tested the  ordinary  books  upon  scientific  subjects. 
At  one  time,  in  a  paroxysm  of  rage  at  these  "would- 
be  scientists,"  he  exclaimed:  "they  are  mere  compil- 
ations of  persons  unfamiliar  with  science,  who  mix 
the  false  and  the  true:"  Alas,  shall  we  ever  again 
meet  with  his  equal,  as  teacher  and  pupil  and  brother 
combined! 

To  one  unacquainted  with  Professor  Agassiz,  the 
scenes  at  Penikese,  during  the  second  term  of  her 


LECTURES.  65 

school,  was  full  of  fascination  and  lively  animation: 
but  to  us,  who  had  studied  under  the  Master,  it  was 
one  with  "the  whole  head  sick,  and  the  whole  heart 
faint." 

In  presenting  the  history  of  this  second  and  last 
year  of  Penikese  Island,  if  I  have  followed  my  diary 
somewhat  closely,  and  thus  of  necessity  repeated 
many  things  that  had  already  been  said  in  any  pre- 
vious chapter,  I  hope  that  they  will  not  appear  ob- 
jectionable on  such  account — since  they  may  intro- 
duce us  to  new  features  of  the  original  plan,  and 
lead  us  to  new  pleasures  in  the  inexhaustable  field  of 
research. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

SECOND   YEAR   AT    PENIKESE;       LABORATORY    WORK, 

MORE    LECTURES,   FAMILIAR    DAILY    SCENES, 

RECOLLECTIONS    OF   AGASSIZ,    THEODORE 

LYMAN  ON  FISH  CULTURE. 

Just  one  week  upon  the  island,  and  though  we  have 
had  plenty  to  do  the  time  has  passed  quickly  and 
pleasantly  enough.  There  are,  of  course,  a  variety 
of  employments,  and  no  one  is  confined  exclusively 
to  any  one  thing  all  the  time.  You  will  see  some  in 
the  laboratory  busily  employed  in  the  dissection  of 
fishes  or  other  animals.  They  carefully  trace,  from 
origin  to  terminus,  each  organ — however  minute — 
and  accurately  determine  its  relation  to  the  other 
organs  and  to  the  surrounding  parts  of  the  animals. 
Then  the  nerve  systems  are  followed  through  their 
various  courses  to  their  seat,  the  brain,  which  is  laid 
open  and  shown  in  all  its  perfectness.  Finally,  the 
veinous  and  arterial  blood  systems,  injected  (to  show 
their  finer  terminal  portions)  or  not,  followed  with 
slowness  and  with  the  utmost  precision,  teach  the 
student  lessons  which  they  can  never  forget.  On 
shelves,  in  our  laboratory,  will  be  found  carefully  se- 
lected and  prepared  specimens  of  these  dissections, 
and  the  digestive  organs  of  various  species,  all  neatly 
tied  and  suspended  in  alcohol.  Only  one  week  upon 
the  island  yet  we  have  laid  out  work  enough  for  a 
year's  hard  labor  already, — but  we  came  here  to 
work! 

Others  you  will  find  at  work  upon  some  minute, 
and  often  microscopic,  dissections  of  the  common 
clam  or  mussel.  Here  our  injections  do  a  most 
beautiful  work.  Different  coloring  materials  are 
mixed  with  gelatine,  and,  while  yet  warm  and  in  a, 


68  PENIKESE. 

liquid  state,  are  introduced  into  every  vein  and  art- 
ery, while  every  fibre  responds;  then  the  whole  cools 
with  a  hard,  fast  color. 

Still  others  are  busy  over  beautiful  sea  mosses,  and 
the  minute  and  delicate  polyzoa  and  protozoa  with 
which  they  abound.  Professor  Bicknell  has  a  class 
in  microscopy,  and  Mr.  Alexander  Agassiz  will,  as 
soon  as  his  health  permits,  give  instruction  about  sea 
animals,  such  as  the  medusae,  starfishes,  sea  urchins, 
jelly  fishes,  etc.,  and  also  in  embryology. 

The  aquariums  are  not  all  as  yet  in  full  running  or- 
der,— though  many  of  them  are  already  well-filled 
with  sand,  stones,  sea-weeds,  and  a  goodly  number 
of  specimens  that  are  especially  adapted  to  live  and 
thrive  in  such  confined  quarters,  and  represent  quite 
fairly  the  animal  life  of  the  surrounding  waters. 

One  of  our  students  has  recently  secured  and  placed 
in  his  tank,  one  of  those  most  beautiful,  delicate,  and 
altogether  wonderful  little  animals,  so  rare  upon  our 
coast,  the  Physalia — often  called  the  Portugese  Man- 
of-War,  or  the  Physalia  arethusa  of  the  scientist.  It 
is  an  exquisite  little  beauty — a  dainty,  fragile  gem — 
and  belongs  to  the  class  of  Acalephce.  or  Jelly  Fishes, 
of  the  order  Hydroidea  or  Hydroids,  which  are  also 
known  by  the  name  of  polyps,  from  two  Greek  words 
signifying  "many-footed" ,  referring  to  the  tentacles; 
which  were,  doubtless,  in  olden  times  supposed  to  be 
feet, — and,  apparently,  not  without  reason,  since 
tentacle  is  from  a  Latin  word  signifying  "a.  feeler, "- 
and  many  of  these  lowest  forms  of  animal  life  have 
no  feet  but  their  feelers  which  must  thus  have  orig- 
inally been  supposed  to  be  feet,  both  from  their  shape 
and  from  their  appearance.  One  little  animal,  there- 
fore, has  quite  a  history  of  its  own.  Of  late  years, 
scientists,  who  delight  in  changes  and  lengthy  names, 
have  classed  it  as:  Branch  III  (of  the  animal  king- 
don),  Ccelenterata;  Class  I,  Hydrozoa;  Order  III, 
Siphonophora;  Genus,  Physalia;  Species,  Arethusa. 
Now  these  long  names  are  apparently  meaningless  to 
the  majority  of  mankind,  but  as  we  have  no  specimen 


SECOND  YEAR  AT  PENIKESE.          69 

before  us,  let  us  try,  through  the  medium  of  the 
"dead  languages,"  a  little  induction  a  posteriori,  and 
discover,  if  we  can,  what  our  specimen  is  really  like. 
So  we  procure  the  Greek  and  Latin  lexicons,  and  be- 
gin our  work.  With  a  little  difficulty,  we  find  that 
our  first  hard  name,  ccelenterata,  is  derived  from  two 
Greek  wTords,  (koilos  and  enterori)  signifying  "hollow- 
entrailed;"  this  then  lets  us  into  the  characteristics  of 
the  animals  of  the  branch — that  is,  their  internal  or- 
gans are,  in  a  great  measure  almost  wholly  wanting, 
or,  if  present,  of  so  simple  a  nature  as  to  perform  the 
functions  of  digestion  by  means  of  a  bag-like  stom- 
ach which  digests  principally  by  assimilation.  Our 
next  word,  hydrozoa,  is  quickly  found;  the  "hydra"  or 
famous  many-headed  monster,  or  serpent  slain  by 
Herclues,  standing  for  the  first  part  of  the  word;  and 
"zoon"  (or  zoon  as  it  is  often  written),  the  Greek 
word  for  an  animal — this  gives  us  the  key  to  our  class 
characteristics.  The  third  word,  siphoncphora,  is  still 
more  plain,  being  derived  from  almost  identical  Greek 
words  signifying  a  ''tube"  or  "siphon,"  and  "I  bear" 
or  "bearing."  The  word  pJiysalia  comes  from  a 
Greek  word,  also  very  similar,  which  signifies  "a 
bubble."  Arethusa  was  the  name  of  a  beautiful 
nymph  of  Diana's:  she  was  afterward  changed  into  a 
fountain. 

At  first  sight,  the  Portugese  Man-of-War  would  put 
one  in  mind,  as  the  name  suggests,  of  an  immense 
oblong,  somewhat  egg-shaped,  bubble  of  air,  with  a 
crest  of  wavey,  wrinkled  crenules,  much  thicker  than 
the  surrounding  parts,  spanning  its  top  and  extend- 
ing to  its  attenuated  ends;  the  whole  an  iridescent  or 
burnished  purple,  with  reflections  of  an  hundred  kin- 
dred colors.  But,  while  this  delicately  shaped  and 
gorgeously  tinted  little  animal  rides  gracefully  along 
upon  the  top  of  the  water,  dancing  merrily  with  its 
ripples,  we  suddenly  become  aware  of  an  hitherto 
unseen  dense  bunch  of  what  resembles  a  mass  of  sea- 
weed, of  fine,  crinkled  hairs  and  threads,  some  of 
which  extend  far  down  into  the  water.  We  examine 


7O  PENIKESE. 

it  closely — perhaps  touch  it  with  our  hands.  It 
stings  us  with  an  electric  stroke  that  makes  us  feel  as 
if  our  whole  hand  had  become  suddenly  alive  with  a 
fiery  infusion  of  nettle,  which  remains  for  nearly  half 
an  hour.  The  bubble  itself,  to  this  wonderful,  com- 
posite animal,  is  four  to  six  inches  in  length  and 
some  three  wide  and  high  in  its  centre.  The  bunch 
of  living  polyps  beneath,  twice  that  size;  while  the 
ravellings,  for  such  they  seem  to  be,  hang  downwards 
to  from  twelve  to  eighteen  inches  below  the  clustered 
mass  above,  Now  this  assemblage  of  living  individ- 
uals must  be  studied  separately  from  the  bubble,  as 
we  will  still  call  it.  Investigation  proves  that  this  is 
not  a  single  individual,  as  would  at  first  appear,  but 
a  colony  of  innumerable  zooids,  carrying  above  them, 
a  huge  wind  bladder — apparently,  only  to  sustain 
them  just  below  the  surface  of  the  water.  The  true 
home  of  this  living,  floating  island  is  in  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  It  must,  therefore,  only  casually  drift  so 
far  north  as  its  present  limit — which  is  rarely  beyond 
Cape  Cod.  Three  specimens,  only,  were  found  dur- 
ing our  stay  at  Penikese,  of  which,  I  believe,  I  alone 
was  the  fortunate  possessor  of  the  only  live  one.  It 
was  found  stranded  upon  the  beach,  one  morning 
after  a  severe  storm,  in  a  nearly  perished  condition. 
How  it  survived  the  storm,  the  rocks  and  sand  of 
the  beach,  and  the  amount  of  handling  which  it  un- 
derwent in  being  transferred  to  a  pail  or  fresh  sea 
water,  thence  to  my  aquarium,  I  cannot  well  under- 
stand; yet  it  lived,  and  threw  off  a  whole  tank  full  of 
young,  which  went  paddling  around  everywhere,  of 
their  own  free  will,  "as  happy  as  clams  at  high 
water." 

This  is  only  one  of  the  many  things  which  occupy 
our  attention.  Nearly  every  aquarium  presents  some- 
thing of  interest  to  study,  and  every  moment  of  our 
time  is  fully  occupied.  Among  the  animals  in  some 
of  the  other  aquariums  are:  both  species  of  our  com- 
mon stickleback,  the  sea  mullet,  several  kinds  of  peri- 
winkles, and  both  the  large  and  the  small  hermit 


SECOND  YEAR  AT  PENIKESE.  /I 

•crabs,  which,  as  they  peer  cautiously  out  of  their 
shells,  or  travel  rapidly  about  with  their  curious  side- 
long gait,  resemble,  somewhat,  minute,  full-grown 
lobsters — and  amuse  us  all  highly.  There  is  some 
talk  of  setting  up  a  small  windmill,  that  the  supply 
of  water  for  our  tanks  may  be  regulated  with  some 
degree  of  certainty,  as  necessity  requires  that  it 
should  be.  Our  <  'finds"  can  then  be  all  properly 
cared  for,  and  fresh  water  constantly  furnished  for 
them,  as  is  not  now  the  case.  Otherwise,  we  shall  be 
obliged  to  continue  bringing  in  the  water  in  pails  and 
letting  it  carefully  into  the  tanks  through  rubber  tub- 
ing, which  is  now  provided  for  that  purpose.  Thus 
our  general  laboratory  work,  and  plans  for  its  further- 
ance, progress  as  well  as  one  could  possibly  expect 
with  the  limited  means  at  our  command. 

While  the  students  study  hard  during  the  day  time, 
they  amuse  themselves,  in  the  evening,  by  strolling 
about  the  island,  sitting  upon  the  balconies  and  en- 
joying the  delicious  evening  air  and  fresh,  sea  breezes, 
or  rowing  or  sailing  over  the  cool,  restless  waters  round 
about  the  island.  On  Wednesday  and  Friday  even- 
ings Professor  Meyer  gives  us  delightful  lectures  -up- 
on sound  and  hearing, — illustrating  his  experiments 
with  the  excellent  and  costly  instruments  brought 
with  him  from  the  Stevens'  Institute,  Hoboken,  New 
Jersey,  from  which  place  the  genial  professor  himself 
hails.  His  lectures,  though  not  compulsory,  are  at- 
tended by  everybody,  both  old  and  young,  and  the 
lecturer  is  as  great  a  favorite  as  what  he  tells  us  is  in- 
teresting and  instructive. 

Occasionally  we  have  lectures  upon  the  lower  forms 
of  animal  life,  by  a  Professor  Barnard — a  rising  young 
naturalist,  who  enters  quite  deeply  into  the  subject. 
We  have  quite  thorough  descriptions  of  all  the  lower 
forms  both  of  animals  and  vegetables, — but  more 
especially  the  former:  those  whose  structure  is  that 
of  a  simple,  proto-plasmic  mass,  without  any  definite 
form,  or  without  (at  times,  apparently,)  even  the  lit- 
tle nucleus  or  life  cell  which  is  possessed  by  almost 


72  PENIKESE. 

every  animal  in  existence.  Lectures  upon  these  sub- 
jects are  of  the  highest  importance  to  those  engaged 
in  microscopic  work  and  study.  One  is  often  com- 
pletely at  a  loss  how  to  make  the  best  use  of  the 
material  at  one's  command,  without  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  just  these  very  minute  organisms;  and 
what  a  field  for  microscopic  investigation  they  un- 
fold. 

Among  the  rare  captures,  which  have  been  made 
during  the  week,  mostly  from  the  contents  of  the 
"pounds,"  several  of  which  are  located  in  various 
places  in  the  water  not  far  from  our  island,  and  out 
of  which  fishes  and  other  marine  animals  are  brought 
to  the  school  several  times  each  week,  are  quite  a  rare 
species  of  the  skate  fish,  a  specimen  of  the  thrasher 
shark,  and  several  other  species  of  fishes  interesting, 
especially,  for  dissection.  The  students  have  already 
made  abundant  alcoholic  dissections  of  the  common 
ground  shark— a  small  animal  of  the  shark  family, 
about  three  and  a  half  or  four  feet  in  length,  which  is 
a  very  great  nuisance  to  the  fisherman;  of  the  com- 
mon skate;  and  of  the  flounder  or  "flat  fish,"  as  we 
were  wont  to  call  it  when  we  were  boys.  In  these 
the  various  organs  and  systems  have  been  traced  out, 
and  are  shown  in  a  most  perfect  and  beautiful  man- 
ner. The  work  in  this  department  is  going  forward 
under  the  direction  of  Professor  Putnam. 

A  few  of  our  students  are  particularly  interested  in 
the  minute  dissection  and  study  of  animals  of  the 
molluscous  order.  These  are  guided  by  Professor 
Morse,  who  is  assisted  by  Mr.  Brooks,  who  evidently 
knows  nearly  as  much  about  the  subject  as  the  profes- 
sor himself,  and  whose  beautiful  preparations  are  the 
wonder  of  all  who  behold  them. 

A  number  of  large  diagrams  have  been  prepared, 
with  great  skill  and  labor,  for  the  use  especially  of 
beginners,  illustrating  the  complete  anatomy,  as  fine- 
ly as  it  can  well  be  rendered  on  paper,  of  the  leading 
animals  in  each  group  of  the  animal  kingdom;  these 
have  been  hung  about  the  walls  of  the  laboratories  in 


SECOND  YEAR  AT   PENIKESE.  73 

the  most  artistic  manner,  and  present  quite  an  impos- 
ing effect  as  well  as  being  very  useful. 

The  latter  part  of  this  month  Professor  Packard  is 
expected  to  arrive.  He  will  give  instruction  in  ento- 
mology and  the  crustacean  and  worm  families,  and 
take  charge  of  the  dredging  expeditions.  Some  very 
interesting  species  in  these  departments  appear  to  be 
quite  abundant  in  our  locality, — both  on  the  shores  of 
the  island  and  in  the  deeper  waters  farther  off,  where 
they  are  being  constantly  brought  up  by  the  dredge. 
As  many  of  these  are  microscopic,  a  *most  prom- 
ising field  will,  without  doubt,  open  to  the  investiga- 
tors and  investigatresses  who  shall  enter  therein. 

Among  the  great  days  upon  the  island  is  mail  day. 
This  occurs  whenever  the  steamer,  or  any  other  water 
conveyance,  brings  the  mail  bag:  generally  twice  a 
week.  One  has  but  to  say:  the  mail  has  come!  and 
immediately  everything  is  in  commotion.  Everybody 
stops  work.  No  one  can  think  of  dissections,  lec- 
tures, or  drawings,  at  such  a  time.  Professors  and 
pupils,  all,  flock  to  the  lecture-room,  where  the  bag 
is  opened  and  the  letters  and  "papers  distributed. 
Newspapers  are  a  much  coveted  article  with  us, 
though  we  none  of  us  have  any  too  much  time  to  de- 
vote to  them;  and  each  paper  goes  the  rounds  of 
everyone  on  the  island  until  it  returns  to  its  owner 
literally,  as  the  school-boy  said:  ' 'black,  and  white, 
and  red,"  (read,)  "all  over." 

Our  work  obliges  us  all  to  be  early  risers  at  Peni- 
kese,  and  I  shall  not  soon  forget  the  self-contente'd 
grin  of  delight  with  which  Cuffy — our  small,  black, 
table-boy — armed  with  an  immense  tin  horn,  nearly 
or  quite  a  foot  in  length,  and  such  an  one  as  would 
have  delighted  the  heart  of  the  most  fastidious  of  col- 
lege Sophomores,  used  to  rush  down  the  walk  to  the 
dormitories,  and  proceed  to  awaken  the  sleepers 
therein  with  the  most  resounding  toots  and  heart- 
rending buzzing  sounds  that  he  could  evoke,  as  a  sig- 
nal that  breakfast  would  be  ready  in  about  half  an 
hour.  Well  did  he  perform  this  his  most  delightful 


74  PENIKESE. 

duty!  He  would  usually  continue  the  exercise  until, 
the  most  obdurate  lover  of  Somnus  had  become  fully 
aroused.  The  flourishes  and  grimaces  with  which  all 
this  was  accompanied  and  executed  would  have 
caused  many  a  hearty  laugh,  could  you  have  seen 
him,  as  you  were  awakened,  in  spite  of  your  desire  to 
remain  longer  in  delicious  repose,  by  the  perseverance 
of  the  good-natured  urchin,  who  reminded  one  greatly 
of  a  small,  insignificant,  but  very  troublesome  fly, 
who  returns  again  and  again,  as  often  as  you  drive 
him  away,  t(5  torment  you. 

Our  dormitories,  this  year,  are  much  more  conven- 
ient, in  every  way,  than  they  were  the  year  previous. 
Now  there  are  plenty  of  rooms;  and  each  person  is 
thus  provided  with  a  separate  and  individual  apart- 
ment. These  two  buildings,  which  are  dormitories 
above  and  laboratories  beneath,  are  crossed  in  the 
center  by  a  lecture-room,  and  look,  from  without  and 
at  a  little  distance,  like  an  immense  letter  H.  The 
laboratory  doors  face  the  sea — at  least  two  of  them, 
at  the  rear  of  each  room — and  give  us  plent}'  of  fresh 
air,  as  well  as  a  fine  view  of  the  harbor  and  of  the 
surrounding  waters.  In  these  rooms  we  are  busy  by 
day  and  by  night.  I  recall  one  of  our  number  who 
labored  both  diligently  and  often  at  the  Echini. 
These  "Sand-dollars,"  as  they  are  vulgarly  called, 
engrossed  his  especial  attention.  The  seamen  call 
them  "Spanish  dollars,"  owing,  no  doubt,  to  the  fact 
that  they  come  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea  and  call  to 
mind,  perhaps,  the  old  legends  of  hidden  treasures 
restored  to  rash  adventurers  by  some  similar,  seem- 
ingly mysterious  process  as  that  by  which  now  we 
dredged  old  ocean's  bottom,  and  brought  to  light  its 
valuable  products. 

During  our  second  week  upon  the  island,  which 
has  just  closed,  we  have  had  another  delightful  even- 
ing lecture  on  sound,  by  Professor  Mayer;  his  agree- 
able manners  and  perfect  experiments  making  it 
doubly  interesting.  Mr.  Barnard,  also,  has  given 
several  additional  talks  upon  the  protozoa  or  lower 


SECOND  YEAR  AT  PENIKESE.  75. 

animals;  but,  although  the  speaker  tried  his  utmost 
to  illustrate  the  difference  between  these  lowest 
forms,  I  sadly  fear  that,  to  many,  the  am&ba  and  pro- 
tamceba  and  amixa  and  protamixa,  were  so  confounded 
in  the  minds  of  the  listeners,  owing,  no  doubt,  to  the 
slight  real  difference  between  them,  that  few  appreciat- 
ed the  lecturer's  earnest  efforts.  But  Mr.  Roetter,  the 
genial,  patient  Mr.  Roetter,  has  shown  more  and  more 
of  the  calm  endurance  required  to  complete  a  finished,, 
satisfactory  sketch  of  some  object  of  special  interest. 
How  slowly,  methodically,  and  yet  how  well  he  drew 
and  instructed;  his  own  drawings  were  our  object  les- 
sons, often, — and  well  we  knew  that  we  could  never 
attain  to  such  a  degree  of  artistic  beauty  and  excel- 
lence. It  was  thus  that  each  professor,  in  his  depart- 
ment, sought  to  give  us  his  best  from  which  to  form  a 
model  for  us  for  our  future  scientific  advancement 
and  career. 

Sunday!  It  is  a  very  quiet  day  with  us:  no  work,— 
but  complete  rest.  We  have  church,  or  rather  a  sort 
of  social  meeting  or  gathering  together  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  are  left  free  to  wander  where  we  will  for  the 
remainder  of  the  day,  which  closes  with  a  singing-ser- 
vice— if  so  we  may  call  it — from  the  little  fort  on  the 
hill,  in  the  evening,  and  from  which  it  is  accounted 
quite  a  disgrace  to  be  absent.  In  the  singing  all  who 
can  and  wish  join. 

After  considerable  urging,  our  colored  waiters  form 
a  chorus  of  their  own  and  treat  us  to  some  of  their 
native  songs.  Far  over  the  waters  float  these  simple 
words  of  praise.  Everyone  who  has  ever  heard  them 
is  aware  of  the  wonderfully  peculiar  pathos  that  there 
is  in  the  melody  of  songs  sung  by  good  colored  singers. 
There  were  four  in  our  chorus,  and  their  voices  har- 
monized well  together.  We  retired  from  the  little 
fort,  during  the  singing,  and  the  minstrels  occupied  it 
alone.  They  sang  with  great  power,  pronouncing 
each  word  clearly  and  distinctly.  Their  songs  were 
simple,  both  in  word  and  in  tune,  but  they  seemed  to 
us,  upon  that  wave-lapped  island,  so  far  from  landr 


/6  PENIKESE. 

as  coming  from  creatures  more  angelic  than  human- — 
more  divine  than  the  civilized  relics  of  a  barbaric 
race.  We  remained  near  and  listened — some  stand- 
ing, others  reclining  upon  the  grass  near  by:  And 
so  the  twilight  passed  into  evening  shades,  and  they 
into  the  darkness  of  the  night,  and  it  was  late  before 
we  retired. 

Today,  Monday,  Professor  Wilder  gave  us  a  lecture 
upon  Professor  Agassiz.  He  told  us  that  the  latter 
had  told  him,  some  time '  previous  to  his  death,  that 
he  feared  that  he  might  pass  away  at  any  moment, 
and  that  he  believed  that  his  days  on  earth  were  num- 
bered; that  he  might  die.  "in  a  year,  a  month,  a 
week,  a  day,  or  even  an  hour,"  adding,  simply,  "and 
I  am  prepared."  Such  were  Mr.  Agassiz's  own  con- 
victions. We  too,  believe,  with  another,  that  Pro- 
fessor Agassiz's  death  is  "one  of  the  deepest  calamit- 
ies that  has  fallen  upon  the  thinking  world." 

But  let  me  stop  for  a  moment  to  tell  you  who  Pro- 
fessor Wilder  is.  He  seems  more  personally  attached 
to  Professor  Agassiz's  family  than  most  of  our  other 
instructors.  He  is  eager  to  execute  Professor  Agassiz's 
slightest  wish,  and  is  here  and  there  and  everywhere 
about  the  grounds.  He  lectured,  also,  upon  many 
themes:  the  lancelet,  sharks,  rays  and  lampreys. 
He  also  began  a  course  it  NEUROLOGY.  He  had  a 
deep  reverence  for  truth.  2 ruth  in  Science  must  be 
paramount.  His  enthusiasm,  also,  was  equal  to  that 
of  any  of  our  teachers,  and  though  still  young  he 
gave  signs  of  that  prominent  activity  of  mind  for 
which  he  afterwards  became  so  noted. 

On  Tuesday  evening  the  old  Agassiz  Natural  His- 
tory Club  was  again  organized,  with  a  president,  two 
vice-presidents,  a  secretary  and  treasurer  combined  in 
the  same  office,  and  an  executive  committee  of  five 
members.  The  meeting  was  opened  by  a  few  re- 
marks, appropriate  to  the  occasion,  by  the  president, ' 
and  then  given  up  to  the  discussion  of  scientific  sub- 
jects, which  pleasantly  occupied  the  remainder  of  the 
evening.  Remarks  were  made  on  the  movements  of 


SECOND  YEAR  AT  PENIKESE.  77 

the.  eyes  of  fishes  while  swimming  in  different  posi- 
tions in  the  water.  Two  of  our  professors,  who  were 
present,  explained:  The  one,  the  nerves  and  move- 
ments of  the  fish  eye  in  general;  the  other,  the  gen- 
eral structure  of  the  eye  and  the  apparent  reason  for 
the  peculiar  movements  previously  alluded  to.  The 
question  was,  as  to  whether  the  pupil  moved  in  a  line 
with  the  inclination  of  the  body  or  not;  the  opinion, 
pretty  generally  expressed,  seemed  in  favor  of  the  af- 
firmative. Remarks  were  also  made  upon  the  differ- 
ence in  the  development  of  the  tadpole,  or  young,  of 
our  different  species  of  toads  and  frogs.  In  showing 
the  periods  of  growth  in  the  different  species,  the 
speaker  said:  that  in  batrachians  the  hind  feet  were 
those  which  were  first  developed,  while  in  the  sala- 
manders it  was  the  fore  feet;  thus  distinguishing  the 
young  of  these  two  great  classes.  He  said  that  all 
our  species  of  the  former,  excepting  those  of  the 
green  and  spotted  frogs,  assume  their  true  form  very 
soon  after  hatching  from  the  egg,  while  those  refered 
to  were  sometimes  two  to  three  years  in  maturing. 
He  showed,  also,  that  physical  conditions  have  much 
to  do  with  the  quickness  with  which  they  assume 
their  adult  forms,  and  that  they  must  be  able,  for 
their  proper  and  perfect  development,  to  leave  the 
water  at  times,  and  climb  up  upon  the  mud  or  earth 
banks  of  their  breeding-pool,  where,  thus  keeping 
their  bodies  still  moist  and  hence  supple,  they  could, 
at  the  same  time,  exercise  their  limbs  and  receive  the 
sun  upon  them.  And  thus,  after  many  other  inter- 
esting and  instructive  discussions,  the  meeting  ad- 
journed for  one  week. 

Our  lecture,  about  this  time,  from  Professor  Theo- 
dore Lyman,  the  veteran  Fish-culturist,  upon  the 
subject  of  pisiculture,  excited  in  us  a  great  deal  of  at- 
tention. I  well  remember  how  masterly  he  handled 
his  subject,  and  how  we  admired  his  instructive  talk 
upon  a  question  of  which,  hitherto,  we  had  remained 
in  such  utter  ignorance;  and  this,  as  near  as  I  can  re- 


78  PENIKESE. 

call  from  the  few  notes  I  was  able  to  take  at  the  time, 
is  what  he  said:* 

"Artificial  fish-culture,  means  the  culture  of  fishes 
artificially:  the  surrounding  of  them  with  conditions  of 
growth  which  shall  render  their  growth  more  favor- 
able than  as  it  is  found  occurring  in  Nature."  We 
understand,  by  this,  that  the  lecturer  would  seek  to 
take  away  the  deteriorating  environments  in  Nature 
which  seek  continually  to  undermine  and  undo  that 
which  she  seeks  continually  to  do,  by  creating  fish- 
breeding  establishments  whose  object  shall  be  to  as- 
sist Nature  in  her  best  endeavors. 

"The  true  fishes,"  continued  the  lecturer,  "are 
egg-bearing  animals  which  lay  their  eggs  in  the  water. 
In  the  salmon  and  trout,  the  female  works  a  hole  in 
the  ground  with  its  nose  and  tail  in  wrhich  to  deposit 
them.  The  shad  lays  its  eggs  differently:  it  comes 
from  the  sea  up  the  rivers  to  spawn,  as  the  process  of 
laying  the  eggs  is  called,  which  occurrs  free  in  the 
water.  They  are  light  colored,  transparent,  globular, 
and  hatch  in  from  twenty-four  to  forty-eight  hours. 
The  percoid  fishes  make  holes  or  nests  in  the  sand 
and,  after  the  eggs  are  deposited  in  them,  watch 
them  with  great  care. 

"In  breeding  fishes  one  must  be  careful  about  four 
things:  raising  the  young  from  the  egg;  transporting 
live  breeders;  dams;  and  protection  from  surround- 
ing enemies." 

"The  Salmonida  include  the  salmon,  trout,  white- 
fish  (of  the  great  lakes),  smelt,  and  capereing,as  prin- 
cipal types;  they  are  all  good  food  fish  but  the  last." 
I  cannot  believe  that  the  lecturer  was  fully  aware, 
however,  of  the  extent  to  which  the  latter  fish  is  an 
article  of  food  (caught,  dried,  and  preserved  for  win- 

*Our  object  in  quoting  Dr.  Lyman's  lecture,  is  not  so  much 
to  inform  one  upon  Fish-culture,— though  in  this  respect  we 
hope  that  it  will  not  be  without  its  fruits, — as  to  show  how  lit- 
tle we  knew  then  of  a  subject  which,  in  so  few  years,  has 
sprunar  up  to  be  one  of  the  most  important  subjects  of  the 
present  day. 


SECOND  YEAR  AT  PENIKESE.  79 

ter  use)  all  along  the  coast  of  the  north  shore  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  even  along  the  Labrador  peninsula, 
when  he  made  the  above  remark. '  "True  trout  and 
salmon  are  marked  by  a  small  fatty  fin  just  behind  the 
dorsal.  Trout  vary  in  color,  size,  form,  and  in  many 
other  particulars.  Overfed  brook  trout  are  very 
large."  Along  the  north  shore  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
and  in  Labrador  waters,  (even  in  Canada,)  "overfed 
brook  trout"  are  caught  in  nets  and  by  hook  and  line, 
weighing  from  two  to  Jive  pounds, — they  are  salted 
down  and  sold  in  the  Canadian  markets  by  the  barrel. 
"There  is  quite  a  difference  between  the  fat  brook 
trout  and  those  taken  from  the  sea,  (the  latter  are  fe- 
males, I  think,  and  the  males  do  not  leave  their  na- 
tive stream.  )  The  salmon  are  very  lean  after  spawn- 
ing. 

"In  a  hatchery  keep  the  hatching  box  well  sup- 
plied with  a  good  supply  of  fresh  water — it  should  be 
kept  at  a  temperature  of  47  o  to  50  o  .  Build  a  gate 
over  the  stream,  behind  the  box,  to  regulate  the 
amount  of  water;  dig  a  pond  or  ponds,  plank  them 
inside,  lead  the  water  into  them  from  the  stream,  and 
lead  off  the  waste  water.  In  the  hatching-hojise, 
each  separate  box  should  have  a  separate  stop-cock 
to  regulate  the  supply  of  water,  and  also  a  cover  to 
keep  the  insects  out  of  it.  Trout  and  salmon  depos- 
ite  their  eggs  on  a  gravelly  bottom  and  in  rapid,  run- 
ning water.  Do  not  keep  them  together,  as  they  eat 
«ach  others  spawn  and  young.  As  regards  time,  the 
hatching  of  the  young  depends  upon  the  temperature 
of  the  water.  If  the  water  be  50  o  the  spawn  will 
hatch  in  fifty  days;  and  five  days  later  for  every  de- 
gree lower.  The  eggs  will  sustain  intense  cold  and 
yet  survive.  The  young  resemble  greatly  some  of 
the  fossil  fishes.  The  trout  lie  helpless  with  an  at- 
tachment of  a  large  yolk  sack  for  sometime  before  a 
vigorous  growth  begins;  with  salmon  the  time  is  not 
so  long.  Young  fish  are  fed  upon  ox  or  calves'  liver 
in  a  finely  divided  state.  The  enemies  of  both  egg 
and  young  are  numerous.  While  lying  in  the  hatch- 


So  PENIKESE. 

ing  box  the  eggs  are  attacked  by  a  mould  or  fungus,, 
which  glues  them  together  in  a  mass.  To  avoid  this, 
cover  the  box  with  tar,  charcoal,  or  asphalt  varnish. 
Water  insects  must  be  watched  and  removed.  Mice 
will  eat  both  eggs  and  young  if  exposed.  Keep  the 
box  covers  closed,  or  provide  them  with  springs,  so- 
that  the  light  may  be  excluded.  When  once  put  in- 
to a  stream  the  young  will  be  rapidly  destroyed  by 
other  fish,  frogs,  heron,  and  water  snakes. 

"Some  fish  do  not  run  to  the  sea.  The  salmon 
does,  and  thereby  gains  its  large  size,— as  no  small 
fish  of  this  species  are  found  in  the  sea.  In  its  nat- 
ural waters,  the  eggs  are  laid  at  the  head  of  some 
small  stream,  where  the  young  may  be  found.  They 
are  then  about  four  inches  long  with  dark  bars  on 
their  sides,  and  go  by  the  name  of  pars;  further  down 
the  river  or  stream  are  found  larger  fish,  which  have 
lost  their  bars  and  gained  a  silvery  coating,  these  are 
called  smalts.  The  pars  change  their  features  slowly, 
the  smalts  more  rapidly,  those  which  descend  to  the 
sea  often  feed  so  voraciously  that  they  gain  a  pound  a 
day. 

"Shad  are  studied  in  this  country.  They  belong  to- 
the  herring  group.  When  they  return  from  the  sea 
to  spawn  their  stomach  is  almost  empty  yet  they 
themselves  are  very  fat.  After  spawning  they  return 
to  the  sea  again,  but  often  die  of  starvation  before 
reaching  it.  Until  1867,  no  one  had  thought  of  rear- 
ing the  young  fish  from  the  egg.  Seth  Greene  suc- 
ceeded, at  South  Hadley  Falls,  Mass.,  where  he  found 
the  waters  of  the  Connecticut  River  just  fitted  for  his 
purpose.  To  keep  them  in  the  water  and  not  loose 
them  he  constructed  a  floating  box,  but  hatched  only 
a  few  fish  the  first  time.  Then  he  made  a  box  hav- 
ing no  bottom,  which  he  fastened  with  floats  in  the 
river.  In  this  he  hatched  the  fish  in  sixty  hours.  At 
first  they  were  small  and  greatly  resembled  the  larvae 
of  mosquitoes.  When  let  into  the  stream  they  im- 
mediately sought  the  middle  of  the  river.  Trout  and 
salmon  seeking  the  banks.  As  they  descended  they 


SECOND  YEAR  AT  PENIKESE.  8  I 

grew  rapidly.  In  two  years  time  they  returned  as 
chicken  shad;  perfect  males  and  females,  and  market- 
able. They  go  down  the  river  in  September.  They 
do  not  migrate,  as  many  would  suppose,  but  the  fish 
from  each  river  keep  distinct.  The  fisherman  tell, 
by  the  intensity  of  color,  what  waters  they  are  from. 
They  appear  in  Savannah,  Georgia,  in  February;  in 
Washington,  D.  C.,  in  March;  in  Massachusetts,  in 
June. 

"The  eggs  of  fishes  differ  in  size.  In  the  trout  and 
salmon  there  are  about  1,000  eggs  to  the  pound;  in 
shad,  30,000;  in  some  larger  fish,  as  many  as  70,000. 
Some  fishes  cannot  be  bred  artificially — it  then  be- 
comes necessary  to  transfer  live  breeders.  These 
generally  lay  their  eggs,  not  in  mass  but  singly. 
The  fish  themselves  must  be  delicately  handled,  as  a 
damage  to  their  skins  usually  results  in  death.  Black 
bass  will  grow  to  a  weight  of  thirty-five  to  thirty-six 
pounds.  They  were  transported  from  Saratoga  Lake 
in  1850.  They  must  be  kept  in  water  of  a  certain 
temperature,  the  water  being  frequently  changed. 
Trout  can  be  transported  to  a  great  distance.  Fish 
are  transported  from  water  to  water  by  fish-ways. 
The  greatest  enemy  of  the  trout  is  the  pickerel." 


CHAPTER  VIII.. 

MORSE  vs.    PUTNAM  ON  EVOLUTION.     THE  END. 

It  was  during  this  second  year's  course  at  Penikese 
Island,  that  the  lectures  upon  evolution  by  Professor 
Morse,  and  arguments  against  that  theory  by  other  of 
the  professors,  formed  a  distinctive  feature  of  our  in- 
struction. 

Professor  Morse  was  evidently  an  ardent  evolution- 
ist,— at  least  one  would  judge  so  from  his  lectures 
and  personal  conversation  upon  the  subject.  He 
gave  us  many  interesting  talks  upon  it —  and  seemed 
to  have  no  patience  with  any  one  who  did  not  think 
as  he  thought,  or  believe  as  he  believed,  regarding  it. 
Some  of  his  oft-repeated  and  apparently  pet  expres- 
sions were:  "As  you  culminate  in  any  group,  you 
find  features  similar  to  those  of  the  higher  verte- 
brates," or,  "there  are  no  forms  but  that,  in  their  cul- 
mination, point  to  the  vertebrates;"  still  again,  "cer- 
tain parts  of  the  mollusks  show  a  resemblance  to 
man, — as,  for  example,  the  eye  and  nerve  ganglion, 
protected  by  a  covering,  suggests  the  skull." 

I  well  remember  how  once  the  professor  illustrated 
the  progression  of  animal  life  from  the  lowest  inverte- 
brate to  the  highest  vertebrate  by  an  admirable,  sys- 
tematic] tree  of  trunk,  branches,  and  twigs;  even, 
shooting  here  and  there  all  over  the  blackboard,  and 
^nded  by  declaring  the  precepts  of  the  evolution  of 
man  from  all  this  treey  and  twigy  matter.  Unfortu- 
nately, however,  man  was  made  to  appear  at  the  ex- 
tremity of  one  of  these  insignificant  branchlets.  As  a 
result— during  the  evening  of  the  same  day,  the  figure 
remaining  upon  the  board  during  that  time, — some 
mischievious  person  made,  naturally  enough  as  far  as 
simple  appearances  went,  a  few  additional  branchlets 
to  the  limb  of  man  with  the  words  "man  in  1900?" 


84  PENIKESE. 

One  can  imagine  the  scene  which  followed  upon  the 
discovery  of  the  marks:  the  consternation  of  the  pro- 
fessor, and  the  good-natured  raillery  of  the  scholars. 
But  this  did  not  deter  him  from  further  lectures  upon 
the  subject;  or  we,  who  listened,  from  asking  our- 
selves, like  Pilate  of  old  "what  is  truth"  in  this  mat- 
ter. 

Of  course  not  all  who  heard  his  lectures  fully 
agreed  with  Professor  Morse  in  everything  which  he 
said, — in  fact,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  majority 
rather  sided  against  than  in  favor  of  his  theories;  yet, 
personally,  he  was  a  great  favorite  with  everyone,  and 
was  greeted  with  a  perfect  storm  of  applause  when- 
ever he  appeared  amongst  us — nor  will  we  soon  for- 
get the  apparent  interest  and  enthusiasm  with  which 
he  always  entered  upon  his  subject, — nor  was  that  in- 
terest weakened,  in  either  instructor  or  pupil,  to  the 
end. 

I  will  now  give  you  the  substance,  as  fully  and  as 
clearly  as  my  notes  will  allow,  of  Dr.  Morse's  most 
important  arguments  in  favor  of  the  theories  of  evolu- 
tion and  natural  selection.  He  began  as  follows: — 

"I  come  before  you  tonight,  to  say  a  few  words 
upon  a  subject  quite  foreign  to  my  usual  one — the 
molluscous  branch  of  the  invertebrate  kingdom.  It 
is  one  which  I  think  ought  to  be  presented  to  you  in 
a  fair  way,  as  it  is  one  which  is  now  agitating  the 
whole  world.  I  will  not  ask  you  to  believe  the  evi- 
dence to  be  set  forth  against  your  better  judgments; 
but  I  ask  your  attention  while  I  explain,  and  lay  be- 
fore you,  the  views  which  are  held  by  those  who  are 
supporters  of  the  evolution  theory,  and  supporters  of 
Mr.  Darwin;  and  I  think  you  will  see  that  it  is  not  so 
terrible  a  thing  to  suppose  man  originated  from  a 
branch  of  the  lower  or  animal  kingdom,  or,  in  other 
words,  from  the  ape,  after  all. 

"It  is  well  known  that  all  animals,  in  some  form  or 
other, — either  in  their  adult  or  in  their  embryonic 
stages — resemble  other  animals,  higher  or  lower,  in  their 
adult  or  embryonic  stages;  and  that  all  classes  have 


EVOLUTION.  85 

forms  that  are  almost  impossible  to  be  separated  from, 
or  are  intermediate  between,  the  two  kingdoms  of  na- 
ture :  For  instance,  — many  of  the  lower  forms  of  polyzoa 
cannot  be  definitely  separated  from  many  of  the  alga 
or  seaweeds,  which,  at  a  certain  period  of  growth, 
throw  out  free  forms  having  small  bodies  with  a  tail 
at  each  end,  and  which  move  about  freely  in  the 
water.  Thus  the  two  forms,  the  animal  and  the 
plant,  are  so  similar  that  a  definite  study  of  each  is 
absolutely  necessary  in  order  to  separate  them  with 
any  degree  of  satisfaction — if  at  all.  Such  a  study 
has  not  as  yet  been  made, — and,  undoubtedly,  when 
it  is  made,  many  errors  in  our  belief  concerning  them 
will  be  corrected,  if  not  our  whole  classification  of 
them  altered.  Then,  too,  we  have  many  animals  in 
the  insect  or  articulate  branch,  which  insensibly  run 
into  each  other  and  into  others  of  other  branches,— 
these  are  so  closely  allied  as  to  be  almost  inseparable 
if  not  quite  so.  Now  to  what  does  all  this  tend? 

"Many  of  the  old  scholars  of  science  classified  the 
animal  kingdom  in  such  a  way  that  there  were  no  in- 
termediate forms — by  placing  the  doubtful  genera  and 
species  in  separate  and  distinct  groups;  thus  repre- 
senting the  whole  animal  and  vegetable  kingdoms  by 
separate  and  distinct  groups,  also.  But  we  see,  now, 
that  this  is  contrary  to  their  general  structure,  and 
opposed  to  true  classification.  If  we  represent  the 
old  classification  by  a  series  of  straight  lines,  we 
shall  have  a  good  illustration  of  the  relation  of  the 
old  orders  (or,  better,  branches)  to  each  other;  or 
even  if  the  lines  are  placed  in  an  inclined  direction, 
one  line  being  above  the  other,  we  shall  still  have  a 
very  good  representation  of  the  way  in  which  the  ani- 
mal kingdom  was  classified  by  the  old  writers, — 
though  each  writer  represented  them  by  a  different 
number  of  branches  and  orders:  one  conceding  seven 
branches  and  twenty-eight  orders;  and  another,  elev- 
en branches  and  seventeen  orders;  and  so  on. 

"As  I  have  said  before,  we  know  that  many  genera 
run  into  each  other  in  such  a  way  that  they  are  al- 


86  PENIKESE. 

most  wholly  indistinguishable  from  one  another,  per- 
haps quite  so.  We  cannot  place  these  doubtful 
forms  in  separate  families, — for  it  will  not  only  show 
that  we  have  not  tried  to  separate  them  and  give 
them  their  true  places,  but  that  we  have  built  up  a 
false  classification,  that  cannot  stand  because  it  has 
no  foundation.  Now!  what  we  evolutionists  claim  is, 
not  that  these  branches  are  distinct  creations,  created 
to  puzzle  the  naturalist,  but  that  they  are  diverging 
species  from  branches  that  insensibly  run  into  each 
other,  in  the  same  way  that  two  unparallel  lines  will, 
at  some  time,  meet,  however  different  they  are  at 
their  extremities.  Thus  we  think  that  the  letter  V 
should  be  the  symbol  of  the  evolutionist;  thus  you 
will  see  how  one  branch  insensibly  runs  into  another, 
and  why  it  is  we  find  no  intermediate  forms — why  it 
.is,  also,  that  the  'missing  link'  of  Darwin,  as  it  is 
called,  is  an  animal  to  be  dreamed  of  rather  than  to 
be  actually  seen. 

"Now  to  prove  more  completely  this  nearness  of 
relation,  this  running  of  one  group  into  another,  let 
us  take  some  division  of  the  animal  kingdom  which  it 
would  seem  impossible  to  connect  with  anything  but 
itself.  For  instance — everybody  knows  a  bird  by  its 
feathers.  But,  if  wre  examine  its  skeleton,  we  find 
that  it  corresponds  to  a  reptile  standing  upon  two 
legs;  \\iththefrontlegsslightly  modified  to  suit  a 
different  sphere  of  action,  the  long  tail  off — to  effect 
a  balance,  and  the  head  slightly  altered  to  suit  a 
change  in  food.  Note,  now,  the  result  of  investiga- 
tion! An  animal  was  found,  some  years  since,  with 
such  truly  reptilian  characters,  that  even  the  best 
anatomists  thought  that  it  was  a  reptile.  At  first,  all 
of  the  parts  of  this  wonderful  animal  were  not  dis- 
covered; but,  little  by  little,  the  remaining  parts 
came  to  light,  until  the  discovery  of  the  head,  by  Pro- 
fessor Marsh,  completed  the  skeleton.  All  of  its 
characteristics,  save  one,  were  reptilian,  and,  but  for 
that  one,  it  would  have  been  considered  the  skeleton 
of  a  reptile:  In  place  of  the  four  legs  there  was  a 


EVOLUTION.  87 

wonderful  development  of  the  two  wings  of  a  bird,, 
slightly  modified  to  suit  the  form  of  the  animal,  and' 
from  these  wing-shaped  structures  proceeded  actual 
feathers.  There  was  the  central  shaft,  the  barbs,  and 
the  barblets  clearly  defined — leaving  no  doubt  what- 
ever as  to  the  identity  of  the  animal  in  question.  It 
was  a  reptilian  bird.  And  so  we  find  two  orders,  or 
rather  branches,  which  it  seemed  at  first  sight  impos- 
sible not  to  distinguish,  so  running  into  each  other  as 
to  present  an  animal  possible  to  belong  to  either.  A 
connecting-link,  as  we  would  call  it,  between  the 
birds  and  the  reptiles.  What  can  this  be  but  the  de- 
velopment of  the  one  into  the  other?  Here  we  have 
a  means  of  communication  between  the  two  branches,. 
— but  this  is  not  all. 

"Again,  look  at  the  embryonic  stages  of  the  bird 
and  some  of  the  higher  reptiles,  and  you  will  find,  that, 
at  a  certain  stage,  the  young  bird  is,  apparently,  iden- 
tical in  structure  with  tbe  young  reptile.  Place  the 
two,  at  that  stage,  side  by  side,  and  you  will  fail  to 
tell  which  is  the  bird  and  which  the  reptile.  It  is 
only  at  a  further  stage  of  the  development  that  the 
characteristics  begin  to  change,  and  the  bird  assumes 
the  elongated  beak,  and  the  webbed  toes,  which,  at  a 
certain  stage,  are  found  in  all  bird  embryos;  the  front 
legs  then  assume  the  form  of  wings,  and  the  tail  is 
lost.  The  reptile  retains  its  peculiarities." 

The  professor  here  entered  into  a  long  and  very 
scientific  discussion,  by  which  he  considered  it  prov- 
en, beyond  further,  reasonable  doubt,  that  "tarsal, 
true  tarsal  bones,"  existed  in  birds,  and  could  be  dis- 
covered, under  medium  powers  of  the  microscope,  in 
the  embryo,  at  a  certain  stage  of  its  development. 
This  he  affirmed,  proved  "another  point  of  connection 
between  the  birds  and  the  reptiles" 

Again  continuing,  he  says: — 

"With  a  few  exceptions,  ante-evolutionists  are 
merely  species  describers.  They  are  careless  of  the 
fact  that  conditions  and  circumstances  may  alter 
growth ;and  are  endeavoring  to  build  up  monumens  for 


$8  PENIKESE. 

themselves  by  describing  new  species.  Now  if  evolu- 
tion be  true  down  will  go  their  species."  (The  profess- 
or had  been  talking  particularly  of  mollusks, — but 
whether  of  the  Unios  or  of  the  Land  shells,  the  notes  do 
not  state).  "Look  at  the  difference  in  the  number  of 
species  abroad  and  in  this  country.  In  England  they 
have  been  reduced  to  about  forty;  and  an  eminent  nat- 
uralist has  taken  some  dozen  of  these  and, by  subject- 
ing them  to  different  circumstances,  actually  reduced 
that  number.  If  this  can  be  done  in  a  short  period 
of  time, what  might  we  not  expect  in  looking  back  for 
one  or  even  two  hundred  thousands  of  years?  Take 
the  species  in  New  England,  some  twenty;  and  then 
go  to  the  western  portion  of  the  United  States, — in 
Ohio,  Tennessee,  and  the  tributaries  of  the  vast  Miss- 
issippi— surrounded  on  the  north  by  the  Laurentian 
chain,  on  the  east  by  the  Alleghanies,  and  on  the  west 
by  the  Rocky  mountains — one  vast  basin!  aud  we  find 
species  living  in  the  brackish  pools  of  water  that  are 
identified  with  those  living  in  the  sea.  In  the  fresh 
water  we  find  living  species  that  are  identical  with 
those  living  in  the  brackish  water.  These  all  go  by 
different  names,  because  found  in  different  localities; 
but  they  are  so  absolutely  identical  that,  if  placed 
side  by  side  it  is  impossible  to  separate  them.  This 
is  true  of  a  great  majority  of  our  species — so  called. 
Now  what  is  the  cause?  It  is  clear  enough  to  my 
mind.  The  sea,  formerly,  filled  this  large  basin,  and, 
gradually  receding,  left  those  large  rivers  which,  af- 
ter being  nourished  by  the  rain  for  years,  grew  fresh 
retaining  many  of  their  old  and  more  hardy  forms  of 
animal  life  from  the  ocean.  These  forms,  in  turn, 
gradually  became  changed  so  as  to  sustain  life  in 
brackish,  and  then  in  fresh  water.  This  process  of 
change  of  living  to  suit  a  difference  of  environment, 
can  now  actually  be  performed  artificially  with  some 
of  our  species.  Thus  we  find,  that  it  is  possible  to 
take  forms  which  if  introduced  directly  into  fresh  wat- 
er would  be  instantly  killed, and  by  gradually  modify- 
ing their  circumstances,  cause  them  to  become  actual 


EVOLUTION.  89 

inhabitants  of  fresh  water  and,  in  the  naturalists'  esti- 
mation, new  species. 

"Professor  Hooker  took  Alpine  plants  and  brought 
them  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain  upon  which  he  found 
them,  and,  in  a  few  years,  actually  succeeded  in  pro- 
ducing plants  which,  in  every  respect,  differed  from 
the  originals,  yet  combining  certain  characters  which 
proved  them  identical  with  a  species  of  a  wholly  dif- 
ferent name  and  genus.  By  and  by  the  naturalist 
will  be  endowed  with  prophetic  vision,  as  it  were,  and 
be  able  to  tell  when  to  expect  certain  modifications, 
and  where  to  find  them. 

"Now  in  regard  to  protective  coloring.  What  is  it 
if  not  the  way  in  which  some  animals  are  enabled  to 
secure  their  prey  and  to  guard  themselves  from  their 
enemies.  Look  at  an  instance  which  I  myself  noted! 
A  troup  of  small  fishes  were  «quietly  swimming  over 
some  eel-grass  when,  suddenly,  they  took  a  quick  turn 
and  swam  off  in  a  different  direction;  then,  seeing  before 
them  a  bright,  tin  peach  can,  which  had  been  thrown 
into  the  water,  they  separated  and  instantly  darted  off 
everywhere.  Now  what  bothered  me  for  a  long  time 
was  the  cause  of  their  fright  at  the  eel-grass, — and 
it  was  a  long  time  before  I  discovered  it.  By  ac- 
customing my  eyes  to  the  water,  and  studying  it  in- 
tently for  some  time,  I  found,  buried  snugly  in  the 
grass  and  of  just  the  same  color,  the  form  of  an  ugly 
old  sculpin,  who,  as  the  fishes  came  over  him,  had 
gulped  down  some  half  a  dozen  of  them  to  make  a 
meal  of.  The  sudden  disappearance  of  so  many  of 
their  comrades  at  once,  was  enough  to  terrify  the  ranks 
of  any  company.  Of  course  they  did  not  see  their 
enemy  until  he  had  made  victims  of  some  of  their 
number.  Then  the  poor,  innocent  tin  can  must  be 
instantly  avoided  for  its  glaring  colors.  If  that  is  not 
an  instance  of  protective  coloring,  what  is? 

"Then,  too,  the  practical  importance  of  the  'sur- 
vival of  the  fittest'  can  be  illustrated  in  this  way:  Sup- 
pose that  there  was  but  one  cod  fish  in  the  word,  and 
that  it  produced  9,000,000  eggs.  All  lived,  and  each 


go  PENIKESE. 

adult  fish  produced  9,000,000  more  eggs.  As  a  result 
of  this  increase,  the  world  would  soon  be  buried  a 
thousand  feet  deep  in  cod  fish.  (Applause).  But, 
as  it  is,  they  are  being  continually  thinned  out;  only 
about  one-half  of  the  eggs  laid  are  impregnated, 
scarcely  one-half  of  these  survive  impregnation — one- 
half  of  this  half  are  killed  when  very  young  by  frogs 
and  other  fishes,  and,  during  their  whole  growth,  they 
are  being  continually  lessened.  Even  when  fishes 
(fishes  of  other  species,  I  mean,)  go  down  the  rivers 
to  the  ocean,"  (the  professor,  doubtless,  refers  to  sal- 
mon, shad,  and  other  river  fish, )  there  stands  a  great 
barrier  of  enemies  through  which  all  must  pass;  and 
think  what  few  survive!  No  wonder  that  those  are 
the  sharpest,  keenest,  strongest,  and  best  fitted  to  al- 
lude their  enemies.  The  remark  made  concerning 
shells  and  their  reduction  in  species,  will  also  apply 
to  fishes  and  other  branches  of  the  animal  kingdom^ 
and,  contrary  to  what  is  stated  by  the  non-evolution- 
ists that  the  greater  the  amount  of  material  we  get  the 
better  we  are  able  to  separate  species,  I  say — that  by 
this  we  are  the  better  able  to  condense  species. 

"De  Candole  accepted,  at  first,  the  complete  yet 
complex  classification  of  the  oaks,  as  given  by  emi- 
nent botanists;  yet  even  he  admits  that,  given  the 
same  climate,  temperatures,  soil,  and  other  circum- 
stances which  affect  their  growth,  many  species  con- 
verge and  finally  meet. 

"The  divtrgence  of  species  is  going  on  all  over  the 
world,  and  what  we  want  to  do  is  to  unite  them  as 
much  as  possible,  and  find  out  the  truth  in  regard  to 
them.  If  anybody  can  prove  the  theory  of  Mr.  Dar- 
win false  by  true  facts,  we  are  all  ready  to  believe 
him." 

The  professor  then  spoke  of  the  races  and  ages  of 
man  in  the  world,  since  its  beginning,  and  instanced 
them  as  proof  of  the  theory  which  he  supported, 
namely,  the  "survival  of  the  fittest."  He  next  made 
a  statement,  which  is  the  strong  point  of  the  whole 
theory,  that:  "Even  if  we  look  at  it  in  a  religious 


EVOLUTION.  91 

point  of  view,  what  is  more  beautiful  than  to  imagine 
us,  in  centuries  and  centuries  of  time,  gradually  grow- 
ing better  and  better,  stronger  and  stronger  and  more 
perfect,  until,  by  the  gradual  growth  and  survival  of 
the  fittest,  the  best  we  have  ultimately  reaches  full 
perfection.  I  think  that  the  theory  of  evolution  is 
the  only  one  that  will  explain  the  peculiarities  of  our 
living  organisms." 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  session  of  the  school, 
and  after  Professor  Morse's  lectures  upon  evolution, 
we  had  a  few  words  upon  the  subject,  though  in  a  dif- 
ferent direction,  from  Professor  Putnam.  Mr.  Put- 
nam is  as  valid  and  sound  a  reasoning  non-evolution- 
ist as  is  Mr.  Morse  an  ardent  and  theorizing  evolution- 
ist. I  well  remember  how,  one  day,  the  former  stop- 
ped suddenly  in  a  lecture  upon  fishes — the  myxine 
being  the  subject  of  his  talk — and  after  looking  at  us 
for  a  few  moments  with  one  of  his  tired  yet  kindly 
smiles,  said:— 

"As  this  is  my  last  lecture,  and  as  so  much  has 
been  said  already  concerning  the  theory  of  evolution, 
and  that  in  its  favor,  I  think  it  but  fair  that  a  few 
things  should  be  said  to  you  upon  the  other  side,  and 
I  propose,  this  morning,  to  give  you  a  few  facts  that 
have  led  me  to  place  myself  on  that  side: — 

"Of  the  three  lowest  branches  of  the  vertebrate 
kingdom,  we  have  represented  the  lancets,  the  myx- 
ine,  and  the  lampreys.  Now!  if  the  theory  of  evolu- 
tion is  correct,  we  would  naturally  expect  to  find  these 
three  groups  differing  only  in  such  a  way  that  one  is 
the  higher  power  of  the  other;  but,  what  do  we  find? 
In  trie  lampreys,  the  highest  of  the  three  classes,  we 
find  the  eggs  forming  in  the  oviduct,  and  falling  free 
into  the  abdominal  cavity.  In  this  little  myxine,  be- 
sides other  peculiarities,  there  are  no  oviducts." 

Here  the  professor  explained  in  full  the  formation 
of  the  egg,  and  the  other  peculiarities  of  its  growth, 
etc.,  and  said:  "Thus  we  have  an  animal  next  higher 
than  the  amphioxus,  (the  lowest  form  amongst  the 
vertebrates,  and  cited  by  many  as  the  connecting- 


92  PENIKESE. 

link  between  back-bone  and  non-back-bone  life,)  giv- 
ing characteristics  similar  to  those  of  the  higher 
groups  of  selachians  and  even  some  of  the  higher 
orders  of  animals  themselves,  though,  in  general  de- 
velopment, far  inferior  to  the  lampreys  even,  which 
are  higher  in  so  many  respects.  Now  this  is  only  one 
instance  of  the  distinctive  character  of  individuals.  The 
evolutionists  would  probably  say,  that  this  simply 
formed  a  branch  which  refused  to  unite;  but,  to  my 
mind,  that  hardly  accounts  for  the  fact:  It  hardly 
seems  possible  that  there  should  be  found  so  many 
branches,  as  there  really  are,  refusing  to  unite." 

Here,  Professor  Putnam's  remarks  were  cut  short 
by  some  call  in  another  direction,  and  he  left  the  island 
before  completing  the  talk  which  he  had  promised  us, 
and  had,  so  far,  so  ably  and  so  significantly  begun. 

It  is,  without  any  doubt,  such  facts  as  these:  spe- 
cies of  a  known  and  definitely  lower  group  possessing 
so  many  of  the  characteristics  of  the  higher  animals, 
that  cause  the  working  naturalists  to  rebel  against  the 
ardor  of  his  more  sanguine  brother  scientist,  who  first 
pronounces  his  theory,  and  then  endeavors  to  fit  to  it 
or  explain  away  from  it  the  facts  that  come  within  his 
reach.  Without  doubt  Agassiz  saw  far  enough  into 
Nature's  realities  to  avoid  theories  and  useless  contro- 
versies. He  endeavored  to  let  his  investigations  re- 
fute theories  based  upon  false  premises. 

Professor  Morse,  when  he  said  that  anti-evolution- 
ists were,  "with  a  few  exceptions,  merely  species  de- 
scribers,"  forgot  the  tremendous  concession  thereby 
made  to  those  same  "non-evolutionists,"  since  one  of 
the  evolutionist's  grand  theorems  is,  that  "no  one  has 
as  yet  even  defined  what  a  species  is."  The  non-evo- 
lutionists do  not  seek  to  make  species,  genus,  family, 
orders,  branch,  and  such  like  divisions  of  the  animal 
kingdom  synonymous  with  the  term  individual,  as  do 
the  evolutionists,  though  they,  the  former,  do  believe 
in  the  universal  oneness — if  we  may  so  call  it — of 
matter,  as  well  as  in  its  indestructibility. 

As,  at  length,  I  draw  near  to  the  conclusion  of    my 


EVOLUTION.  93 

task — a  most  delightful  and  pleasant  task,  I  admit — 
of  sketching,  for  my  readers'  benefit,  the  history  of 
Penikese  Island;  what  crowds  of  memories  press 
around  and  upon  me:  Memories  that  I  have  written 
about  and  memories  that  I  have  not  written  about, 
but  which  yet  hover  around  and  about  places  hallow- 
ed by  the  mysterious  ever  present  presence  of  him 
whose  memory  is  dear  to  so  many.  As  I  draw  near 
to  the  conclusion  of  my  task,  I  say,  I  fear  for  both  what 
I  have  written  and  what  I  have  not  written.  What  I 
have  written,  that  it  ought  not  to  have  been  written, 
and  what  I  have  not  written  that  it  ought  to  have  been 
written.  Yet,  such  as  it,  it  must  stand.  My  object 
has  been  not  to  transcribe  to  you  a  dull,  dry,  monot- 
onous diary  of  facts — difficult  to  digest, — but  rather, 
by  a  taste  of  our  pleasures  and  enjoyments,  to  leave 
the  mind  of  the  reader  in  a  state  of  anticipation  and 
desire  to  explore  Nature  and  the  mysteries  of  Na- 
ture ;for,  thereby,  is  gained  profit,  delight,  wonder, 
satisfaction,  and  everything  that  is  in  harmony  with 
our  being  and  our  eternal  welfare.  We  come  nearer 
to  our  fellowman  and  closer  to  our  God,  in  a  study  of 
all  creation  and  of  created  objects;  and  so,  at  least 
thus  I  believe,  do  we  fulfill  better  our  mission  here 
upon  the  earth,  to  ''know  even  as  we  are  known." 

During  the  session  of  the  school  the  Agassiz  Natur- 
al History  Club  met  weekly  for  discussion  of  scientific 
subjects,  and  for  suggestions  as  to  the  work  going  for- 
ward and  to  be  pursued.  Here  teacher  and  pupil  met 
upon  equal  footing  and  freely  discussed  all  questions. 
Even  practical  Professor  Meyer  became  eminently 
scientific  and,  at  a  suggestion,  turned  his  physics  to 
the  settling  of  many  an  otherwise  abstruce  problem. 
Of  one  in  particular,  namely,  that  of  testing,  by  act- 
ual experiment,  if  insects  could  hear  with  their  anten- 
nae— that  delicate  organ  of  the  functions  of  which  we 
know  so  little.  He  so  arranged  a  male  mosquito, 
upon  one  of  the  slides  of  his  lantern,  that  he  threw  its 
image,  enlarged  several  thousand  times,  upon  a  large 
white  sheet.  Then  he  vibrated  tuning  forks  near  to 


94  PENIKESE. 

them,  and,  by  noting  the  antennae  of  the  insect,  we 
were  enabled  both  to  propound  and  to  answer  ques- 
tions that  would  otherwise  have  puzzled  the  ablest 
scientists. 

Thus  passed  our  days!  The  last,  as  prolific  of  in- 
terest as  the  first.  Alas!  They  no  longer  exist,  save 
in  the  memory  of  teacher  and  of  pupil. 

But  a  few  words  more,  and  the  gleam  of  the  candle, 
growing  fainter  and  fainter,  leaves  darkness  once 
again.  Darkness,  I  say;  yes,  darkness — save  for  the 
memory  of  that  gleam:  A.  RECOLLECTION. 

The  Agassiz  Society  of  Natural  History  met,  for  the 
last  time,  in  the  lecture  room,  Monday  evening,  Au- 
gust 3 1  st. 

Its  business  was  simply  "to  consider  the  resolution 
drawn  up  by  the  committee,"  appointed  for  this  pur- 
pose at  a  previous  meeting,  "on  the  death  of  Profes- 
sor Louis  Agassiz."  It  was  accepted  by  the  club,  "as 
an  expression  from  the  club,  of  their  sympathy  with 
the  friends  of,  and  their  love  and  respect  for,  the  pro- 
fessor taken  from  among  them  so  suddenly."  The 
resolution  was  as  follows: — 

"WHEREAS,  it  has  been  decided  that  we,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Agassiz  Natural  History  Club,  attempt 
an  expression,  in  resolution,  of  our  feelings  upon 
the  departure  of  our  beloved  leader,  and  our  sym- 
pathy in  this  great  bereavement  with  the  many  who 
have  learned  to  speak  his  name  in  the  accents  of 
tenderness  and  affection,  therefore,  it  is 
"RESOLVED,  That  in  the  close  of  the  grand  life  of  Pro- 
fessor Louis  Agassiz  we  mourn  the  loss  of  a  good 
citizen,  an  earnest  student,  a  great  teacher,  a  faith- 
ful friend,  a  true  Christian,  a  lover  of  his  fellow- 
men  and  of  God;  that,  though  words  utterly  fail  to 
express  the  estimation  in  which  we  hold  his  noble 
example  and  teachings,  we  may  yet  show  to  the 
world  our  appreciation  of  the  light  that  is  gone  in 
our  works  and  lives,  and  that  from  the  bottoms  of 
our  hearts  we  do  sympathize  with  all  to  whom  his 
memory  is  dear." 


EVOLUTION.  95 

On  the  i4th  of  December,  1878,  in  the  sixty-sixth 
year  of  his  age,  Professor  Agassiz  passed  away. 

A  boulder  from  his  beloved  Alps  alone  marks  his 
resting-place  at  Auburn,  city  of  the  dead: — while 
lilies  bloom  about  him  (white  lilies-of-the-valley,  are 
they);  the  birds  and  insects  make  music  above  him; 
and,  while  the  world  endures,  his  memory  shall  not 
fade. 

The  story  is  ended  by  the  recent  notice  of  the  com- 
plete destruction,  by  fire,  of  the  school  buildings, 
which  can  now  be  viewed  by  picture  only.  Alas,  in- 
deed! Penikese  Island  is  but  a  memory! 


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